Of The Twilight Hours
by Tears for the Dreaming
Summary: Sequel to 'Midnight is Meant to Be'. 8 months later Peter and MJ have different Partners, but when they are thrown together again and again they realise that destiny is not something they can or want to fight. (AU Movieverse MjP)
1. Peter's Intro: Fallen Angel

**Of The Twilight Hours**

_Sequel to 'Midnight is Meant to Be'_

Disclaimer: I own none of Marvel/Stan Lee's creations, only the scenario and original characters in this story.

Author's Note: Thank you for all the reviews the first part of this story got, and I hope that you enjoy this. I always shoot from the hip, and I'm not sure how this will play out yet, but it will be a little angsty, more grown up and still PMJ at the core. Having said that, this 'series' is my fluff vehicle, so it will still get all happy. Snuggles!

* * *

8 months.

It's been 8 months to the day, almost the hour.

Shouldn't I have forgotten by now? I'm meant to have moved on… but something won't let me, something keeps bringing me back, tearing at the frozen blood in my veins and making me remember, forcing my heart to pulse with life. Hope ran from me like blood from a wound that would not close, its last drop left me long ago, all I can do now is fight, yet in vain, the constant reliving of the scene in my head, in my dreams and in my hate. Hatred of most things, especially myself. I wanted to hate her, but I can't. Everything she did I drove her to, every little false affection she gave me, the arms of the other man, whom can't help but be superior in my mind's eye, all these things I created.

Days drag like weights on my ankles, drowning me in the daylight and empty blackness of this city's perpetual flux, its grown old and I with it tired, weary of the eternal fight to exist.

All these things said, I am suffering, but he isn't. He has lost his wit and charm, gained notoriety as an almost lethal force against crime. Spiderman… he graces the city like a ghost, lingering in the dark corners of the hive, dwelling in the shadows. Criminals no longer got away with being stuck to a web; he now beat the seven ways from Sunday with a sickening amount of pleasure. He was beginning to resemble more of a demon than an angel, or more precisely a fallen angel. He would be suffering too, except he had met her. That woman whom was so brash she couldn't help but cheer him up, even though he was far from wanting to be.

Even trying to think about her didn't cheer him up now, not as the hour lingered in the minute, the minute lingering within its seconds. It was the official 8th anniversary of that date, when his eyes were opened, when he was dragged kicking and screaming into the real world. Peter Parker got no breaks, no good luck, it wasn't in his contract. Mary Jane however seemed to have climbed so high up the ladder that he didn't have the privilege of not seeing her anymore. When she was struggling for work he saw her every now and again, when she had work he missed her because she was so busy.

That night was an odd exception to the rule, she had a steady job in a crap TV show, but money is money. After he decided to disappear he didn't see her again for about 2 and a half months, until the posters started showing up. Large prints of her perfect face stared through him everywhere he went, hollowing as it were he struggled on, until the final straw.

Shortly after the posters emerged he was called into the office of one J. Jonah Jameson, his boss at the Daily Bugle. He had an unusually happy look on his face, and Peter's gloom started to thin. Maybe if that aspect of his life were so bad it would balance out by the rest picking up, such as his boss giving him less earache over nothing. He had been sent to a penthouse in an expensive property are of the city, told to photograph it and bring them straight back to be the cover of tomorrow's edition. Peter was half way through the door when he was stopped by JJ, and told he would have an opportunity if he should want it. Apparently the Bugle's new journalist Felicia Hardy had called in sick, and so somebody needed to go and interview the new penthouse's tenants in her place. Eddie Brock was out in Seattle and Ulrich was interviewing the lawyer Matt Murdock about something again. This left only Peter.

This was an opportunity that he had been waiting for, to step outside of his strictly photographic job description and actually interview somebody, it was a chance to prove himself, as well as gain more money. It took only a split second for Peter to agree and then be on his way to a more affluent aspect of NYC.

He reached the skyscraper via buses, and impatiently got the lift up to the penthouse, taking a hell of a lot longer than just climbing up the side. The key he was given at reception opened the door, and he stepped inside to glare at the sheer size on the other side. The room was huge, and that was only the first room. As he explored the abode he found two bedrooms with on-suite bathrooms, a kitchen from heaven and a questionable décor. Everything was perfect except the colours and choice of furnishings, it was all to clean and boring. Creams and Whites, surrounded by football magazines and theatre fixings. There were still quite a few cardboard boxes in the bedroom without the double bed, which he hoped would improve things. The trappings of the rich seemed to clash with his now bitter opinions, it seemed boringly masculine, lacked personality or any hint of style.

After snapping a few shots, Peter propped himself on the back of the sofa near the exit. He had spent to long in this rich man's haven in the sky, and would have left if it wasn't for the interview. Having the chance to talk to whomever owned this place at first screamed at him, but judging by his home Peter guessed that the interview would less than intellectual. It was only a minute or so before he picked up footsteps in the small corridor from the elevator, approaching the door. He heard one man's voice talking about home runs and batting ratios, oh joy.

The lock turned and slowly opened only to step in a guy whom looked vary familiar. Peter had seen him on TV at his aunt's… John Jameson, that was it. Despite Peter's annoyance at anybody called John, Peter knew this guy was a straight cut all American kinda guy, astronaut and all. It might be interesting to talk about NASA and his missions after all. John stepped through the door with his back to Peter, talking to somebody whom hadn't made a sound yet. Upon her entrance his heart sank, his stomach burned as he felt dizzily sick. Radiant red hair casually walked in and unlike her boyfriend, turned straight towards Peter. She looks so unbelievably beautiful his was messing with his mind, swallowing hard he saw the look his her face. A mix of shock and terror, more than likely mirrored in his own features. So that 'John' he had always imagined to be so much more of a man than he ever was, the perfect guy, was stood here before him, and his fears became corporeal. He was rich, handsome and famous, everything the modern woman wants, and this struck Peter as he turned to see Peter standing from his position against the back of his white leather sofa.

"You must be here to interview me and Mary Jane here about my dad buying us this new place, pleased to meet you I'm sure you already know who I am" John stuck his hand out to shake Peter's, but Peter couldn't process the action. He had to escape. Stepping to the side of MJ's boyfriend, Peter rounded him towards the door. He knew she was watching him, but he couldn't look up. Within seconds he was out of the door and descending at the painfully slow rate he came, tears of emotional distress bled from him freely.

That was about 5 or so months ago now, and he remembered walking into the office of the bugle, Jonah having just received an irate call from his son, and before Jonah could spit his anger at him Peter simply dropped the forward of his next pay check on his desk. Two simple words later and Peter was gone in record time. Those words were "I quit", and that left Peter Jobless. He had managed to find other work, but the existence of Peter Parker slowly began to fade as Spiderman was talked about more, as was his new 'pet' as one newspaper had dubbed her.

About 3 months ago Spiderman was sat motionless on top of an arms manufacturers warehouse, gazing out over the city. He was simply watching the stars on a quiet night, it was a pastime he hadn't exploited since he was about 10, but his fascination with it was now back. Peter knew that as his aching heart was slowly fading that he was becoming a ghost of his former self, a dreamer, but also lonely. After the MJ incident had taken his heart, explaining his numb and bitter outlook, Peter just felt empty, but the worst aspect was that he had nobody to talk to about it. His Ant May was kept in the black because Peter didn't want to see her upset over him, and Harry and MJ didn't talk to him anymore. Peter had no friends; he was alone in the daylight as much as Spiderman was in the night.

As his spider sense cracked through his head movement was caught out the corner of his eye, and through the skylight to his side a person could be seen inside. Skulking over Peter slowly opened the lock and dropped down silently. It was pitch black and stayed that way until Spiderman was within 12 feet of the movement. The man was obviously not meant to be here, but what he was doing was unclear. About to act, another person suddenly sprang at the man from Peter's right. His eyes opened slowly as he took in the person beating the man to the floor.

She was lithe of figure, yet with aspects prominent enough to send his pulse racing. Skintight black leather was adorned with white hair from her calves and wrists; her hair was of the same shade, long and wild. The man was lying on the ground in under a minute, and she stood over him underneath the lights whilst Peter remained in the dark, both literally and in thought. Who the hell is she? Getting a glimpse of her face he was in awe of her, and despite her drawing his gaze he still saw the man on the floor had just pulled a gun on her. Shooting out a web line he whipped the gun out of his hand, and stood to catch it.

"Didn't your mother ever tell you not to play with single action army revolvers?" He quipped as she swiftly kicked the man in the temple rendering him unconscious

"Guess not" she laughed, as she stood looking at him. He had just saved her life, and was checking her out in a rather non-blatant but obvious way, she liked this guy already. Knowing that she had just stopped this guy from setting off a nuclear holocaust in her city also gave her an adrenaline high, and she was riding it all the way to his standing.

"So you're the infamous Spiderman" she said as a single clawed finger wove a vertical path from his chest to his naval, "I'm impressed"

He felt a bit unnerved by her sudden approach, but what the hell, she wasn't trying to kill him, which made a change, "And you might be?"

"Black Cat" she purred, "See you around Spider". A few back flips and a launch of her grapple later and she was gone. Peter later found out the man had been trying to set off a nuke in the warehouse that was to be dismantled the next day. To think one disgruntled lab tech could have wiped out the whole city in one go, quite scary.

Over the next few weeks Black Cat had shown up and followed him around, they had eaten Rhino, Shocker and a few other half wits, and it wasn't long before things got, well, intimate. Peter Parker had no role in life other than earning money to live, whilst Spiderman now had a partner in both senses of the word. She was a hellcat if he let her be, and it wasn't long before a few photos of the two swinging around or hammering criminals into the floor appeared in the tabloids, but the bugle was devoid of a good shot which he found amusing to no end.

And that has been the last eight months to the day after that night with MJ, by all means I shouldn't be sad, or have this feeling that something is missing. I'm earning more money now than I used to, I'm having mind-blowing sex with a blonde straight from heaven and for once in my life I don't feel like a failure. So why do I still feel empty? Maybe it's a time thing, I mean I'm only in my early 20s; maybe I just need to let stability take hold.

Pulling his mask on Peter ran towards his open balcony window and dove out into the twilight city air, shooting out a web line he sped away from his own creeping fears of delusion.

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This is the set up for the story from Peter's point of view; the next chapter is the missing 8 months from MJ's point of view. Hope you enjoyed this intro, please let me know! Please review, your feedback is always read and taken in. If any of you know who Revolver Ocelot is you will see the little mention I dropped for him! I am also going to do a spin off story about the time Peter has with Black Cat that is skipped in this story, which shouldn't be too far away!


	2. MJ's Intro: Hollow in Hope

**Of The Twilight Hours**

_Sequel to 'Midnight is Meant to Be'_

Disclaimer: I own none of Marvel/Stan Lee's creations, only the scenario and original characters in this story.

Author's note: This is the second half of the intro, or briefing might be more appropriate. This is MJ's last 8 months, and the story will begin in present after this. Thank you for the encouraging feedback, it's the fuel in my furnace of writeyness, or in English it keeps me going, so by all means keep it coming!

* * *

Life has become a prison.

It's such a long way back, its exotic; I need someone to take me there.

I have a cellmate; I want to look the other way.

There was no trial, I've spent a lifespan behind these bars.

Or at least it feels like a life sentence, its been so long since I felt real, since I felt like anything but a dream. I'm not sure how long it has been but its got to be something like 11 months or so, or a little less. Time drags when nothing seems as it should, nothing breaks when I drop it, everybody smiles when I scowl at them. This life of John's is like a padded room, nothing can or ever does go wrong, no matter how longingly I hope for it to. Money must do that, it makes everything alright, but too much makes everything mundane. I guess its sorta like a parent telling their child to save up for something instead of getting it bought for them, saying that the child will appreciate it more after working for it, I have everything bought for me. They have stolen my self worth.

I've always prided myself on my strength, ever since I was a kid. My ability to survive, my drunken father, the using guys over the years, the lack of work, I lashed out and worked hard, I got myself through all that because I am strong. But this life I am in now, these people that surround me, they are all to easily pleased, they all like me for reasons that my personality has nothing to do with, they just like John's girlfriend, not Mary Jane Watson. Makes me feel hollow, like I am no longer a whole person but a part of somebody else's existence, devoid of my own right to be here as an individual.

Its not always been this way, I remember, the memories taunt me with the fact that is all they are, my dreams linger in the fleeting dark, neither can warm me to the arms of this man whom is my cellmate. John Jameson, his name brings most girls to their knees, and he is too gentleman like to undo his zip, a rare breed in modern times. He is sweet, caring and not at all repulsive in appearance, but for some reason is lacking anything that I am really attracted too, character, style or even a slight flare for the unusual. I guess I must like weird guys, and john is about as normal a person as you can get. He is just like the sports stars she had dated at school, unless it involved running up and down a pitch they only knew how to eat sleep and make poor attempts at sex, not exactly inspiring material. Fair enough this pitch was space, but the inclusion of almost infinite dollars in the equation just made things so much worse, because he seemingly thought that it could buy him the only things it can't.

I haven't done much to show him otherwise unfortunately, I let him buy me off with expensive items of jewellery and clothes. Even though this would be enough to warrant most women into marrying him, I am not doing it for the possessions, I am doing it because I can't stand to cripple this man, almost still a boy. He is so innocent, through the tough attitude and the Armani suits I can see that he is in love, and I can't live with the idea of destroying that, no matter how idealistic I may be, I probably will end up doing just that no matter what. I hate to admit it, but after like 9 months he is ready to get married and I am ready to run like hell, its all going to come to a head soon, I can just feel it when he looks at me.

I would have cracked up if it wasn't for my work, the chance to escape and practice being somebody else, it detracts from the pain. I have a friend there as well, she is a likable type, always bubbly and up lifting. She's the reporter the Bugle sent down to cover the play I'm working on at the moment, now that I'm dating a famous astronaut my plays have become news. The reporter's name is Felicia Hardy, and she would suit John more than I, except I think she would just blatantly let him know when she is bored. She would appreciate all the diamonds though, she always comments in a girly fashion on the new piece I have to wear to keep him happy, if only life was so simple that it kept me happy too.

Back before I met John, all it took to make me happy was an average review of my acting and a smile from the boy next door. I didn't ask for much, but it was my world, he was my world. Peter Parker was everything to me, a geek, somebody with flaws so obvious he had been mocked throughout high school, but he seemingly lost those flaws when they left school, it was incredulous to think she had overlooked him for football players. He retained the sharp intelligence, but lost the skinny body and most of the shyness. He was still a little shy, but the day he came to school and almost knocked out her boyfriend after catching her falling in the cafeteria, that was when she noticed that he was slightly more confident, he would now talk to her without fainting on the spot.

She fell in love, goblins tried to kill her, she got excellent reviews, hell life was like a box of live grenades, something was going to blow. She had the night of her life with the guy from next door she had fallen for, only for John to fuck it up. He had called and made an ass of himself after only two weeks of sparse contact, but it was odd enough that Peter had heard the phone call in the first place, odder still that he pulled one of his famous disappearing acts on her until the other day when he was sat in John's new apartment. It was so surreal, John had been waffling on about god knows what sporting jargon, and Mary Jane had been harking back to a man whom with she held a emotionally charged intelligent conversation, 5 seconds later he was stood in front of her, in the one place she felt safe from the never ending torment of walking the streets. No matter where she went, in the back of her mind she was looking at every person she saw hoping it wasn't Peter, but yet she scanned the crowd for his face instead of trying not to look, lost love messes you up in the weirdest of ways.

It was horrible seeing him again, especially the look on his face when he realised which John she had been with this whole time, but even worse was the pleading look in his eyes, as if he was crying out for this not to be, for her not to be here. It was a painfully sharp contrast to the welcoming eyes he once had for her, how he seemingly never wanted her to leave his presence. She had been crying for hours after that, and John thought it was because Peter was rude when he walked out, so much that by the sounds of it John had got his father to fire Peter, and for that Mary Jane could not forgive herself, even without seeing him in almost 10 months she could still ruin his life as effectively as she could when she was in it.

If it wasn't for Felicia's tales during her rehearsal breaks than MJ would have completely given up hope of ever being happy again. It was not too long ago that Felicia had come in with a beaming smile on her pretty face, her astounding figure alive with excitement, Mary had a hard job keeping her still enough for her to explain. She had two weeks before met a guy with whom she had, to quote the woman herself, "a moment". MJ knew that this to the heartbreaking blonde meant that she had met somebody she actually though was worthy of her time, and as she explained not only was he worthy, but she really liked him, which meant he must be some kind of superman to tame the wild friend of the redhead. The excitement of the morning in question though turned out to be a result of her enticing the man of marvel into her apartment and "keeping the neighbours up" as she had so eloquently put it.

With the on average twice a day tales of unbelievable sex from Felicia, MJ's new play "Love will tear us Apart" going amazingly well, hope was beginning to build in the disillusioned actor, which she had never thought possible. The only thing blocking her view from the new world in which her hopes lay was John, or more importantly his boyish innocence, MJ found it incredibly daunting, the prospect of having to gut the poor man whilst he was so much in the public eye before his next mission. MJ herself was now becoming pretty well known, her face was all over the city advertising a scent, which she also felt evil for, it was as if she were haunting Peter, without the pleasure of actually being near him she was still causing him pain.

As for now, MJ had to plan for the inevitable, like moving out, where too, the ramifications of dumping a famous man and trying not to be plastered over the excrement of publications such as Heat and OK would be hard but worth it. For the moment though it would suffice if MJ could escape as much from this new penthouse as possible before John's next mission, at least then she could disconnect the phone and be free.

Rising from her seat on the steel pipe MJ climbed down the ladder to her penthouse. The roof was her escape point, so high up nobody could possibly disturb her…

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Hope you enjoyed thaat as it concludes the intro! The four lines at the start were inspired by Interpol's 'Evil', and the play's name is a classic song by the band Joy Division. If anybody can see the Family Guyquote Let me know! I hope you will let me know what you think by reviewing, and I should be back soon enough! 


	3. Start: Puurfect!

**Of The Twilight Hours**

_Sequel to 'Midnight is Meant to Be'_

Disclaimer: I own none of Marvel/Stan Lee's creations, only the scenario and original characters in this story.

Author's Note: Hey guys and Gals, thanks for the excellent feedback, so please continue! I've actually been a bit scared/excited about this fic, because believe it or not I had it in mind when I started the its predecessor, which is a few years ago, and its been growing in my head ever since, I just hope it comes out right!

* * *

"Meow" She heard him whisper to himself, this warmed her with satisfaction.

"So what's it gonna be spider?" purred Black Cat as she stood in front of Spiderman, one hand containing one shade, the other a different one.

"I'd have to go with burgundy again" he smirked, and she tossed the small canister in her left hand over her shoulder, it careered smoothly through the air and onto her bed. They where on the balcony of Felicia's father's mansion, and Jack Hardy was out for the night on business. Peter watched from his position on the raining, crouched in an inhumane position watching with awe as the dark blood of the lipstick caressed her full lips, he suddenly became aware she was approaching him from the large doorway she was stood in.

"Puurfect!" she smiled, the way her hips curved when she walked like that made his blood burn in his chest, and she knew it all to well. Stood in front of him wearing that heaven sent black leather cat suit, the one so tight it wouldn't, or he suspected she wouldn't zip it up past her mid ribs, exposing her rather ample charms. He resisted as much as humanly possible but he had to admit, he was wrapped around her little finger.

Reaching his crouching position she saw how he was eyeing her even through his mask, and whilst her was distracted she gave him a firm push, sending him tumbling backwards from the third floor.

* * *

"Cut Cut Cut! What the fu" - "Sir! Phone!"

The director obviously wasn't impressed with Mary Jane's new co-star, and was all ready to tear his head off when somebody told him he had a call. The last male lead had just been killed, which was shocking, even more so because it was Frank Castle who had nailed him to his own dining table with carving knives. Everybody knew that The Punisher only killed criminals, so the shock of his death was outlasted by the surprise he was a crack dealer. Anyhow, MJ had to get used to this guy, especially as for the first time in any of her plays she had to kiss the guy in front of a crowd. Sure it was unnerving, but she could pretend it was anybody, least of all John.

This new guy was terrible, and it looked like the play had hit the rocks, without the male lead as strong as her then the whole thing unravelled, it became unbelievable and fake. The director was obviously fuming about "The Punisher killing my thespian!" and MJ was just hoping that he found a new quality male lead, MJ needed to establish herself if she was going to finish with John, she wasn't stupid. In this day in age any split up is a financial as well as emotional ordeal, and she had to be secure.

The director came back into the hall, and MJ noticed how the man with whom she was sharing the stage suddenly looked scared, and she knew why.

"Right people, lets call it a night, my wife is threatening to sell my Jaguar on ebay if I don't come home early once in a while. Take care Mary dear!" The director was often nice to her especially, because he gave her so much stick the rest of the time.

"You! Johnny Storm is it? In my office now!" the director screamed, pretty loud for a short balding art lover, and the cast knew by office he meant the back of the hall.

All in all it had been a short night, it was only 10pm around about, and she knew Jon would be watching sports on their huge plasma screen TV, so unless she wanted to become suicidal with stats saturation to the brain, she had better think of somewhere else to go. A café around the corner was doing an open mic night according to the poster she had just seen on the lamppost out front of the rehearsal hall. Music or touchdown commentary by possibly the most sport orientated guy she had ever known? The choice was obvious.

* * *

Peter laughed as he sped towards the floor, whipping out a web line to one of the gigantic trees in the Cat's front garden, and swung himself out towards the city, followed closely by a female in leather whom giggled lovingly at their playful game.

Swinging after him on her grapple, Cat would use her incredible athletic abilities to keep pace, sometimes even pass her lover, at which time the two usually started a race, one which had a habit of finishing in bed. Tonight however was to be slightly different, as the two reached the centre of the city, unsuspecting of the nights events to come.

Striding through the icy air towards the café she looked up to see Spiderman and the Black Cat gracefully sweep through the sky above her, one or two roads across the city. She only saw shadows, but it was all over the papers that Spiderman and The Black Cat were an inseparable pair, or a crime duo as the bugle put it. Felicia was as upset with the Bugles damning coverage as MJ was, MJ knew that she wasn't alone in supporting Spiderman, and if she wasn't sure that the two heroes were romantically linked then she may have tried to snare the arachnid guy for herself, but she hardly even saw him anymore. But that had to be a good thing, she only ever saw him when her life was in danger, and anything like that hadn't happened for ages…

* * *

I know its short, and I'm not saying I'm going return to the short chapters of the last story, but one or two may appear every now and then. I'm ill, and just this second got My 2 MJ novels in the post! Happy days! I hope you enjoy this little prelude to the next chapter, so please let me know via feedback! I'm going to keep on name-dropping characters, let me know who you notice! 


	4. Behemoths and Coffee

**Of The Twilight Hours**

_Sequel to 'Midnight is Meant to Be'_

Disclaimer: I own none of Marvel/Stan Lee's creations, only the scenario and original characters in this story.

Author's Dribble: Thanks for the feedback guys and gals, its much appreciated. Its been a bit of a funny week, had a few emotional uncertainties which I haven't had for a while, although it was nothing major it was still pretty weird. I finished the punisher game, which was pretty cool, read both of Judith O'Brien's Mary Jane novels too, and the 12th edition of ultimate spidey, so I'm hyped for writing!

* * *

Mary Jane approached the small café, its subtle lights illuminating the pavement like the fading sun did her old back garden when she was a kid. It had a sense of nostalgia to it, for reasons both obvious and not. Then door opened with a chime from the bell above, revealing the dozen or so patrons dotted around on leather sofas and stools. It was a very homely place, rustic and worn in. Highly appealing compared to the crisp white and stainless steel of her penthouse, the café's faults were its charm, unlike her new effortless love life.

Standing at the bar and requesting a latte from the gnarled old man whom seemed to own the place, his gentle demeanour extending to his soft voice. Her life away from the theatre was so fake it wasn't even amusing, the thought of her only feeling of reality being in a place where you pretended to be somebody else, sheer insanity. Since she had met John she hadn't had an argument with him once, she hadn't gotten mad at him because he seemed to do nothing to challenge, to even critique any of her ideas or suggestions, it was like dating a butler. "Yes ma'am, No ma'am" Jesus he was so boring she had at one time actually tried to make mistakes in the theatre just so she could get some abuse from the director, some kind of genuine social interaction.

The small stage that the customers were all sat around was filled when a scruffy young man stepped up to the stool and picked up the battered acoustic guitar that leaned against the wall behind it. The song he started was a melon collie song about loss, not unusual but it was quite catchy. The aged barman returned with her coffee and she smiled as she paid him, it was possibly the biggest latte she had ever seen for $2.70. Turning to lean against the bar MJ watched with wandering eyes the scene before her, running her vision over the couples, the older people and the performer, her thought deep and yet vague. It was just one of those nights were she just felt numb, felt like her destiny had been planned, bought and kept by a man who had no idea she couldn't stand to hear his voice.

Over the last few days, her thoughts of not wanting to hurt him faded with the realisation that if she didn't she would grow old, she would have lost her life to the dollar, to a man whom she felt no connection to, somebody she didn't really even like anymore, let alone love. It was going to be done tomorrow, maybe it was her weariness talking, but she couldn't stand this anymore, the gut feeling of dread at the thought of going home, and then the desperate desire to flee anywhere but there, just like tonight. It had to end, and it had to end now.

* * *

Much to Spiderman's chagrin, it would appear that that a slight mishap at the prison had resulted in the release of two inmates, two friends of the family almost, Rhino and Shocker. Fair enough the two idiots weren't exactly the hardest cons ever, but it was still annoying considering they seemed to escape so regularly. After a 'fond' farewell from Felicia, whom was going after Shocker where he had been sighted last a few blocks over, Peter felt the hairs rise on the back of his neck, a pulse of anxiety burned up his spine to his head like a bullet. Rhino was a street or so back, it had to be him, but something wasn't right. Having learned his spider sense came in varying intensities, this was much too high for Rhino's usual bank job antics.

Turning and launching himself towards the source of his premonition, the serious feeling of dread began to swell inside his chest. Whatever was going on, it wasn't boding well for an early night with the Cat.

* * *

Launching into another heartfelt song as Mary Jane pulled up a stool to the bar, the scruffy musician was bringing feelings and the memories attached to them to the fore, something she could do without, but it was too late to flee.

Oh Peter…

Why did you run away, why couldn't you let me explain? All of this, all of this shouldn't have happened, we should have happened! I'd love to be struggling for money in your broken down apartment, as long as I had you to tell me it was all going to be ok, I'd believe anything you said, and I'd believe you would make it so. Believe. Trust. It was something which he had lost in her, he couldn't trust her, couldn't even stand to be near her, just like when he was in the penthouse, he had to get away from her. The feeling that she had hurt him so badly clawed at her very being, it felt like internal bleeding, a wound she couldn't see or heal, but it was killing her none the less.

With this newfound resolution to destroy her relationship with John Jameson, which came 8 months too late, she couldn't help but think of Peter Parker. She would be single again, and would have to put up with terrible advances of guys across NYC, but there was only one guy she was interested in, had ever been interested in. But it was too late, wasn't it? Had the only man she could ever see herself with be lost to her for good? It was a painful reality but she had the sickening feeling that he was in fact 'over her', that Peter Parker had moved on. But even if Peter hadn't and still felt something for her, he wouldn't trust her again, not ever, and it was that which really hurt, the feeling that no aspect of their complex relationship could be revived.

Just as she felt her mind lace with horror at the thought of him being forever out of reach, a soft pounding that had been growing steadily louder was quickly becoming deafening in its immediate echo. Huge earth shaking footsteps attracted the wide-eyed attention of the café's occupants, whom only saw a humongous grey behemoth hurtling towards the venue's front door. Some recognised the giant in grey as the Rhino, others just as a terrible omen of their impending deaths. Mary Jane however, saw the awesome force of the charging beat become subverted, a blur of red and blue cracking into the side of Rhino's skull. Veering slightly off course, the café still suffered the full impact of the psychotic attack. The Rhino careered into the left hand side of the establishment, crippling its supports and demolishing everything underneath him as he fell.

Rhino seemed to be out of it, a full on swing from a high rise office connecting with his head was enough to stop almost anybody. The smoke was starting to thin, and the customers ran for the freedom of the outside street, but a one woman was trapped underneath a fallen support beam half, and MJ regained her standing position so that she could help to move the fragmented beam. Having been thrown across the room MJ was bruised and bleeding from a bad carpet burn from skidding on the floor, but her adrenaline was keeping her going. She turned to see the silhouette of a man becoming subtlety more recognisable by the microsecond, until she locked eyes with the opaque shapes of Spiderman's mask. He stood there motionless, and she could have sworn she heard him whisper her name in surprise.

As she gazed at him, unsure of what to think, he stepped forwards when he noticed the trapped blonde Mary Jane was trying to free, only to be stopped 5 feet away. A fist the size of a large television connected with a sickeningly blunt crack to Spiderman's face, sending him spiralling into a parked SUV across the road. Indented in the vehicle Spidey peeled out of the metal and fell lifelessly to the floor as his giant opponent strode with crushing steps towards him. Diminutive in comparison, the limp body of her hero alarmed Mary Jane to no end, but not as much as the creak that came that second directly from above her, the one which was a prelude to the collapse of the building onto her and the trapped woman she was trying to rescue.

* * *

Hope you liked this first piece of action, and I hope you'll give me opinion even if you don't! Do any of you know if Judith O'Brien has been commissioned to write a third Mary Jane novel? I'd really like to know! The song I had imagined the café guy to be playing was Adema's 'Nutshell', just in case anybody was wondering! Back soon! 


	5. Razed Hopes

**Of The Twilight Hours**

_Sequel to 'Midnight is Meant to Be'_

Disclaimer: I own none of Marvel/Stan Lee's creations, only the scenario and original characters in this story.

_Authors Note: _Thanks for the kind reviews everybody, I'm glad you like it so far, so keep on giving me feedback lest I stray. I have to wait until June/July for my next Spiderman comics (I collects the volumes), which sucks ass!

* * *

The creak seemed to echo through the very fabric of her existence, the moan of strain that could ultimately end Mary Jane's life. Too scared to scream MJ's attention was split between both the solution and cause of her dilemma. The brunette trapped under a broken structural support beam, her pale face begging with its eyes for salvation, she was the reason MJ hadn't fled immediately. The solution she hoped, would come in the form of her red and blue guardian angel back from his agonising hiatus, the spark of danger he brought to the urban formalities that made up Mary Jane's life was both a blessing and a curse, it meant excitement but also danger. The likelihood of him saving her life on this occasion was unfortunately decreasing by the second, which it had been since he fell like a severed puppet from his indentation in the car Rhino had hurtled him into. As the creak finally began to wane, its chalkboard vocals dulling, MJ gritted her teeth she attempted to force the beam from its victim.

The beam was unfathomably heavy, weighted with the stress of the moment, the fear of being buried alive. As the brunette grasped MJ's leg with a vice like grip, agony and desperation channelling into her claw, but MJ didn't register the silent plea, as the beam itself was beginning to wobble. Feeling its movement, the anxiety ridden redhead searched intently for how she was managing to shake her foe, and she found its axis, the beam was resting only on a piece of rubble, and if she could push it far enough it would fall free of its prisoner. Breath ragged, blood pulsing like a torrent of fury around her body, Mary Jane threw her weight into the beam, screeching with the will to win, determined not to fail herself or the people whom were depending on her, the woman she was trying to save or the hero fighting to save her.

With fierce determination and strength unfamiliar to even herself the beam began to gradually surrender its hold over the brunette, and with one last mighty push MJ felt gravity pull it from it from its position, crushing into the floor. Amazed at the fact she had just succeeded Mary Jane merely panted in neutrality, a second or two later grasping the injured woman, dragging her under the arms towards the open safety of the street. Like a screaming throw in the consuming blackness of death the creak returned, a new and deadly crescendo of agony accompanying the steady cry of its predecessor, and MJ knew only seconds remained until the ceiling gave way.

As the rays of artificial night lighting beckoned her towards the street, fragments of the building began to rain, heavy clouds of dust bellowed from the cracks, and then just as freedom seemed to be within reach, the stress on the remaining supports became too much, and the café collapsed in on itself.

* * *

As Peter's eyes opened, he noticed the silence, their was no booming footsteps or ferocious charge, this combined with the fact the street light was obscured from above would explain his spider sense going haywire. Rolling From his crumpled position only four feet to his left, Spiderman was mere inches away from the crater made by the foot of the Rhino, the huge tread which had been looming over the prone hero for the split seconds he had needed for composure. Flicking on to his feet from his chest and then back flipping to a crouch on the bonnet of the dented SUV he had been thrown into, Peter quickly realised that Rhino was out for blood, not money this time around. Why attack a café after dark? Attention, casualties and leverage, it was obvious, but not obvious enough to have been thought of by this giant idiot, somebody had pt this idea in his head, Shocker maybe?

Jumping backwards ten feet Peter dodged the axe handle smash which flattened the car he had been on, and he began to look around for a way to put his aggressor down. Dodging was easy, Rhino was slow, and s long s he kept roughly within 20 feet he couldn't get enough steam up to make a charge, which halved his threat as long as Peter wasn't distracted. Looking directly across from him he saw Mary Jane still trying to help the woman he saw was trapped by the rubble, and then he noted the creaking of the building, he had to get them out of there before it fell. Somersaulting off the wall into the middle of the road Spidey evaded the wild haymaker thrown by Rhino, cursing now more than ever. With Rhino blinded by rage, a building about to collapse and a reason he had to be nearly inside said building anyway, Peter had an idea.

* * *

As the café fell in upon itself, MJ didn't see her life flash before her eyes, only a leviathan in grey, straight into the centre strut of the building, the only thing stopping and immediate blow down instead of the slow break which was taking place around them This meant now that they were both guaranteed to die rather quickly, which would no doubt have happened if the two females weren't pulled with great speed from the blast zone just moment before then rhino was buried in countless tons of NYC. Flying sharply backwards MJ felt a sudden jerking stop, and then processed what had just transpired. The café was fully imploded, The brunette she had been striving to save was laying dazed on the roadside, and Mary Jane herself wasn't in contact with the floor, she was being grasped most firmly by a rough breathing superhero.

"That was closer than I planned" He said, MJ was silent. None of this was sinking in any time soon. Placing her down as if he had realised he was holding an expensive antique he couldn't afford to break, Spiderman stepped back, he hadn't stopped looking at Mary Jane, and besides blushing MJ was almost in shock. Bending down to tend to the woman she had freed from the café, the brunette raised to her feet, shook MJ's hand feverishly and then hobbled off to the open arms of a man whom had fled immediately from the Rhino landing site. Men, dependable as always, MJ though almost out loud, but knew that it was only a gut reaction. A man had just saved both their lives, one that was always there when she needed him. Turning back to him, she wasn't sure how to proceed, what to do or say, there was so much that was on her mind it was blank, overload.

"You okay?" he asked concern genuinely lacing his voice, yet it wasn't devoid of a certain other quality, one shoe couldn't quite put her finger on. Was it anxiety, nervousness maybe?

"Yeah, thanks to you of course. I erm, can you do something for me?" She asked off the bat, she could see him backing away; sirens were becoming faintly audible in the distance.

"Shoot" He replied quickly.

"Could you take me home?" She saw him seem to flinch, "If you don't mind that is?"

Peter was starting to wonder how exactly he had gotten himself into this situation, but there was no way to avoid suspicion and MJ too, he had to do this, and by the bloodless pale cheeks of the redhead he could tell she would be safer if he escorted her home personally. Her hair in disarray, her clothes ripped and she was visibly shaken, yet she had never seemed more beautiful. Maybe it was the fact he had not had this long to look at her in god knows how long, or maybe it was just the self destructive part of his nature tormenting him, which ever it was, holding her too him before he launched skywards pre-swing was breath stealing.

Her arms wrapped around his neck, and his body was pressed against hers in a way that Peter hoped would make John Jameson sick, because it was having the exact opposite effect on him. MJ seemed to have lot a slight amount of weight, she was toned in all the right places, and voluptuous as ever, he was glad that the night air was cold, but had no time to dwell upon such idiocy, maintaining safe swinging with a passenger was hard enough without admiring her every few seconds. Her high rise was coming up on the left and Peter had to web the corner of a sky scraper from a fair distance to get the full swing release he would need to land on it's roof with MJ in arm.

Screaming as the air rushed through her hair Mary Jane had forgotten what adrenaline was like, and flying vertically up towards her penthouse roof in the strong arms of a familiar stranger was giving her on hell of a rush. Landing softly on his toes, they had only just made it, standing about ten inches in from the edge of her roof. Setting Mary Jane down in front of him Peter stood motionless, his heels resting over the drop back into the streets.

"Are you going to be okay from here?" He asked, trying hard to sound matter of fact, no personal involvement, he was already personally involved…Oh shit, Felicia!

"Yeah I'll be fine, my boyfriend should be home" She said, and was beginning to say something else when she watched in disappointed awe as Spiderman pushed himself off the roof, falling with his arms out like a limp corpse, a couple of dozen feet down twisting in mid air and swinging away with intent. Mary Jane left standing deep in the black sky, battered and bruised, bleeding in the cold clouds of the city. She was about to descend into the white world of warmth and would no doubt be smothered with attention from John, but all this had just confirmed her fear of staying with him, because even after all this, she didn't want to see him. She wanted to go and find Peter, but even he was far from her mind, because something had just occurred to her.

How did he know where I live?

* * *

Hope you guys like it! Please review and let me know what you think!


	6. Irresistible

**Of The Twilight Hours**

_Sequel to 'Midnight is Meant to Be'_

Disclaimer: I own none of Marvel/Stan Lee's creations, only the scenario and original characters in this story.

_Authors Note: Thanks for the great feedback, you guys rock! I have been trying to think of an actor whom could play Felicia in the film, and I keep thinking of Elisha Cuthbert, mainly just because she is unfathomably beautiful and I like 24. What do you lot think? You will probably think of more suitable people than me!_

* * *

The chilled night air burned in Peter's lungs as he flicked over a building post swing, shooting out a web line to the skyscraper on the far side of it. He had to reach Felicia, an he hadn't stopped to question himself over what had just transpired on the roof of a famous astronaut's home with said astronaut's girlfriend, that he knew, would no doubt creep up on him later. As his spider-sense went haywire Peter looked to his right to see at least a dozen cars raging in a circle of fire around Shocker, his arms smoking from the non-stop use of his gauntlets. Felicia he couldn't see initially, until he saw her jump out of the path of a shockwave directed at her, it was too close for comfort. Dropping freefall towards the circle of carnage Spiderman was noticed and came under fire too, managing to twist his body in a variety of athletic ways to weave around the scatter shot laid down by the lowlife convict.

The street was littered with debris from the parked cars which had exploded, some flipping and rolling around until the surrounded Shocker, which Peter could see would make it hard to approach him from the ground, hence Felicia's taking of the defensive. As flames licked 10 feet high Shocker screamed in anger as he saw Cat roll past a gap in his moat of fiery steel, unleashing a savage barrage which lifted the burning cab into the air, spinning it before it crushed into the unforgiving street below, Peter saw no sign of Felicia.

Spitting a web from his left wrist Peter narrowly managed to escape a two fisted double shock aimed squarely at his face, and now swung precariously fast around the circle of burning vehicles, his arc of entry was sharp, his shoulder almost popped under the strain of such a sudden change of trajectory. If he could just time this right…

The webline Peter was on hit a streetlight with its midsection, creating a new shortened arc, folding Spiderman's swing in upon itself, taking him now directly towards his opponent instead of around him. Peter was spun at an extraordinary speed in a full circle around the lamp post as his webline diminished in length, when facing towards Shocker upon his second rotation around the streetlight Peter released his grip on the web and shot towards his lover's assailant like a bullet. Shooting at a back flipping Cat Shocker turned just in time to feel an iron fist crack into his jawbone as a red and blue blur flashed past him. Managing to skid to a stop on all fours Peter turned to see the criminal he often mocked for looking like a quilt drop like a corpse, unconscious from the sheer force of the blow dealt to him.

Panting in relief he had managed to control his descent without killing himself, Peter slowly found his feet and looked up in surprise as he heard footsteps, no way could he be up so quickly, if at all. As his head began to rise he saw the flailing white fur on the athletic legs that he often admired when she wasn't watching, and as they carried the Cat towards him his head continued its ascent, taking in every detail, his every breath laboured.

"What kept you?" She purred, hand on hip mere feet from his still bewildered self. She flicked her hair back as she noticed he was panting, it was unusual to hear him out of breath outside of her apartment. "Hey you okay babe?"

"Yeah, yeah I just didn't expect to almost end up plastered all over that high rise there" It had been a narrow escape, one saved by the inclusion of a street light and the almost accidental wrapping of his webline around it. "Sorry I took so long, Rhino was a bit of a handful"

"I was worried," she whispered, stepping in even closer, her hands found his wrists, slipping down to wrap her fingers around his, "Shocker seemed different, so much rage. I thought Rhino might be the same, it was like he wasn't after anything besides me"

Her words echoed his own thoughts; Rhino had seemed hell-bent on killing Spiderman, almost taking Mary Jane with him. If it wasn't for his stupidity and blinding anger then things might have gotten ugly. Seeing Black Cat was okay, his breathing started to calm, now only hindered by the fact she was standing like that only inches from him, holding his hands as her ivory hair wove wildly from her face. She suddenly squeezed his hands, the look of concern on her face lifting into a gleeful smile.

"Hey, I've got an idea!" she laughed, her right hand placed on his chest emblem, slipping down as she heard the sudden intake of air when she reached his waist. He wasn't sure what to expect when he felt two of her clawed fingers scratch over the skin of his stomach, pulling on the elasticised waist of his uniform. Before he could tell which of the two things she could be doing she had opted for, he felt a lick of stinging elastic snap across his front.

"Ahh! You're going to pay for that!" Peter laughed, the fact he had just been twanged was less annoying than amusing, and Cat was the only person he had ever met like she was, caring but so full of life. He also seemed to have this way of slipping up when he was around her too, which she found cute, but like just five minutes ago, it had almost gotten him hurt a few times. She stepped back, light of foot she jumped straight up towards the dark night sky, and upon hearing her grapple he turned to see her smiling.

"Follow me spider!"

* * *

Mary Jane lay in the water, almost too hot but that was the idea. The idea of boiling herself alive was the best one she had all day. Luckily John wasn't in, and so she had stripped from her torn and ruined clothes and slipped into the bath for a long overdue relaxation. The best part was, she was alone. The lights were off; a single candle warmed the waters surface with its dim burn, radiating the colours of fire over Mary Jane's tired face. The small cuts and bruises were scorching in the water, but as her muscles had for began to unravel she couldn't move if she had wanted too.

It was strange that John wasn't in, but it was a welcome change to the routine. Grimacing as she felt a bruise on her collarbone Mary Jane thought about moving, and she thought about getting into bed, god knows she needed it. In five minutes or so she would get out of this bath, and then fall into a deep sleep, and if John arrived before she had fallen, she would just pretend it had already happened.

* * *

Cat landed softly on the edge of her apartment's open window, hopping down onto the polished hardwood floor. A couple of seconds later Peter gracefully slipped through the window, landing with only a minor tap on the floor. Felicia was nowhere to be seen, which was when he noticed the bathroom door was shutting, the two remaining inches extinguishing the only light source in the small, cluttered apartment. Sitting down on the edge of her large double bed Peters fist clenched on the top of his head, wrenching his mask from his face, dropping it into his lap.

Her apartment was full of seemingly random items, books littering her floor in piles, small tank tops thrown over the back of her chair, makeup all over her desk along with a jar full of pens. CDs all in their wrong cases piled up next to her sound system, and her huge wrought iron double bed with rough white blankets and smooth duvets, everything pointed to one persona whilst the item next to it another. His nails dug into the webbing in his top and pulled the tight fitting uniform from his torso, slight scratches causing him to grit his teeth as his nails ran over his back. Some of the cuts were from fights, some from tonight's broken glass after Rhino threw him into the side of a car, the others from the night before last when he and Black Cat got so carried way they hadn't taken their costumes off in their entirety, and Cat's claws proved a painful stimuli.

Removing his leggings and boots Peter flopped back onto the huge overly padded bed, sinking into its deep fuzz. Groaning as his stiff body stretched out, Peter instantly became aware of the fact he was lying on a beautiful woman's bed in nothing more than a pair of black boxer shorts, his body worn and tired. It was a strange feeling, one of knowing that this was something he had dreamed of when he was in high school, dreaming of it solely because he had 'known' it would never happen. Shows how much things change, how much people change.

As he was thinking this Felicia stepped out of her bathroom, her wet hair sticking to her slender shoulders, framing her face as is licked around her cheeks. Wearing a black set of lace bra and possible the smallest excuse for a thong he had ever seen Peter watched wide eyed, dumbstruck as her hips wove those legs of hers to the foot of the bed, carrying her curves to between his feet. She was met with complete silence, his eyes running over every detail as she stood in front of him. He stood up, her large lace adorned chest caressing his, her arms wrapping around his neck, pulling him in, drugging him, he couldn't resist. The kiss was deep, intense, his mind blank, absent.

Felecia pushed him back harshly onto her bed, her lips swollen as he bouncing in the white blankets, panting, watching. Her hands reaching behind her back, his breath hitched as he recognised the height of her bra clasp, and then her hands returned from their job. Watching in awe he saw a purple piece of paper in each hand, her underwear staying achingly tight around her body.

"W-what are they?" Peter managed to get out as she smiled at him.

"VIP passes to 'Heaven's Gate' down town, we're going out tonight baby, so keep it in your pants" she chuckled, then the dark tint to her eyes returned, her hands finding her cleavage, the two tickets slipping into the gap. "At least for a few hours anyway"

For the first time since she had come out he saw her walking away, "Oh boy" slipped on a whisper from his lips, and she struck a pose, slapping her own ass with a stinging force. "I know a few hours is hard, but I promise I'll let you make me purr all night long" she looked over her shoulder at him, and his dreamy smile was suddenly covered in one of his shirts, her perfect sot draping it over his head.

"Now get dressed baby, we're gonna paint this town red!"

* * *

Hey guys, hope you liked it. I know it got a bit racy, but that's just how I see Peter and Felicia's relationship, a hell of a lot of physical attraction. MJ will feature more next chapter! I hope you liked it, please review and let me know what you think! 


	7. Heaven's Gate

**Of The Twilight Hours**

_Sequel to 'Midnight is Meant to Be'_

Disclaimer: I own none of Marvel/Stan Lee's creations, only the scenario and original characters in this story.

_Authors Note: Not as many reviews for my last little posting, could be because it got too racy, but since its exam season I'll let you guys off! Hope you guys do well! _

* * *

John never did come in. Over an hour had gone past, the waters cold, the ceiling dull as Mary Jane lay across the double bed of the 'master suite' trying to find something to occupy her wandering mind. Truth be told it wasn't wandering at all, she just wasn't sure her thoughts of Spiderman were good for her. He had only just reappeared up the scene, and already he had thrown her life into chaos, she had tasted the unusual, the unscripted, and it had rekindled some sense of rebellion in her. All this stuff with John was crushing her, and it was suddenly becoming clear to Mary Jane that she thrived on fear, on the fact she had to fight. Life with John was too pure, too effortless. Since she could remember she had either had to act or fight to survive, in the face of her abusive father Mary Jane's mother had raised a tough girl, one to whom a simple life was boring.

Starting from now Mary Jane was going to rebel; she was going to give hell to this fake construct of a life and fight for what it had pushed away from her. Her acting career had become limited because of John's parent's views, her love life beyond hope with a nice but thoroughly dull man, and everything was bought for her, no sense of worth or satisfaction could be gotten in this state. Rising from the bed with a new fiery light in her eyes Mary Jane was back, and she knew what, and whom she wanted.

* * *

Inside the club was packed, full of people who either were important or thought they were, neither meaning much to Peter Parker. Felecia was thriving in the dark social atmosphere, the bright coloured lights swirled and gleamed over the masses of bodies on the floor, she laughed and smiled with a friend she had found at the bar, Peter was left wondering why anybody would find this sort of place attractive. As people danced and had a good time, he also noticed angry looking guys eying up Felecia, people too drunk to know what was going on and a definite underbelly of alcohol fuelled escapism.

Nothing wrong with trying to escape the Manhattan drone, but by wasting your liver in a dark room it all seemed a bit futile, because come the next working day you wouldn't have many if at all any memories of your time off, just of the previous working week, thus making the need to escape even worse. A vicious cycle, but one he had no right to say was wrong, after all he was… who is... OH NO!

On the far side of the writhing sea of human flesh, through the mirage of the neon lights Peter could see a tall man, a handsome guy stood in a dark corner, probably unnoticeable to the regular eye, but unfortunately his could pick him up very clearly, his white shirt and torn jeans a stark contrast to Peter's short sleeve blood shirt and black pants. After all the American public was used to seeing this man in white, it was his professional attire, the colour of NASA spacesuits. Captain John Jameson was stood, bottle of beer in hand looking at something Peter couldn't see, but then again he hadn't tried. He was too busy cursing his own bad luck. What the hell? He had not been outside at night without his costume in so long he couldn't remember, first time he does and Bang! He's cornered by one of the very two people he had been trying so hard to avoid. Its poetic hatred in a can, something just so wrong it had to happen. So if thunder was stood across the other side of the dance floor then where was lightning? Mary Jane could be anywhere, and god help him if he saw her, it wasn't on his list of plans to pull a quick fade on… Felecia?

Turning swiftly on his heel Peter found her still stood at the bar laughing with her friend. He didn't know what to do. Staying here would undoubtedly bring a confrontation with him and MJ, yet if he left Felecia would know something was up, she wasn't stupid and he wasn't the best of liars. But what if Felecia was with him when MJ arrived? Being with both of them at the same time was a very scary prospect, and he didn't want to have to explain away anything he felt about the rogue redhead to Felecia, it wasn't right to subject her to his old wounds.

Turning away from Felecia who was having too much fun to notice he wasn't even next to her anymore, Peter saw somebody approaching John Jameson, a woman. His heart was now resting firmly between his feet, his stomach melting away at its self in a vain attempt to burn the hurt from his body. The woman was lithe, dressed in all black, tanned and currently wrapping herself around an obviously wanting John, and Peter couldn't fathom this scene getting any worse. But over the loud music and the crazy lights he saw the girls black hair flicking around her neck, revealing a dark oriental face.

"What the hell?" Peter uttered as he observed in shock the scene unfolding before his very eyes. Now in a full on snog fest with a girl who wasn't Mary Jane, John Jameson had utterly confused Mr. Parker on every level; he just stared onwards, the music pulling back and the lights brightening. As the dancing stopped and people moved towards the cloakroom or the exit he realised his ability to go unnoticed was decreasing, and so he turned around, so many thoughts in his head they cancelled each other out. The club was shutting, and Felecia had said goodbye to her friend, a Michael Morbius if Peter remembered correctly. Seeing his girlfriend calmed him somewhat, and as she approached he turned to his side, and John was gone.

"Hey, what are you doing over here all by yourself?" the blonde asked looking at his face, unsure of what she saw in his eyes.

"Nothing, I just thought I saw someone but it wasn't them. Are you ready?" His shaken and nervous manner was mistaken for her thinking he felt like a lost sheep.

"I know your not really into the club scene Pete, I'm sorry, I'll make it up to you though" a sly wink followed, and Peter smiled, but all he could think about was Mary Jane's boyfriend was cheating on her, that body merging kiss wasn't going to stop there he wasn't as innocent as that anymore. As Felecia linked arms with him Peter was the envy of every guy left in Heaven's Gate, and yet somehow, he didn't feel like it.

* * *

It was very late, and still no sign of John. He was a big guy, no need to worry she told herself, well not until he comes in. Sat on the couch with a mug of steaming black coffee Mary Jane had in front of her a large pile of rejected scripts and drafts from the start of the year. It was around about that time when Peter had given Mary Jane his new mobile number, a worn down handset that somebody at work had given him when they bought a better one. For some reason, more likely because she saw him in person most of the time or talked on the home line, she had never added it to her phone. Now came the mammoth task of wading through this pile of paper to find a name: Peter, and underneath it a series of digits.

This newfound resolution could not wait until morning, and she had to take the opportunity whilst John wasn't in to bore her with random sports tales. She would go after who and what she wanted, and first on the list was Peter Parker.

* * *

Short I know, but it was crucial and I needed to get it out the way. Sorry its been awhile, and by the way, if the last chapter was getting a bit too risqué just let me know, I'll tone it down a bit. Thanks all, please review! Means a lot to little old me! 


	8. The Approaching Dawn

**Of The Twilight Hours**

_Sequel to 'Midnight is Meant to Be'_

Disclaimer: I own none of Marvel/Stan Lee's creations, only the scenario and original characters in this story.

_Authors Note: Thanks for the reviews of the last chapter, inspired me to write more and so here is the result. It's a kind of aftermath train of thought for each of our main characters, sets up for the coming events. Please let me know what you think!_

* * *

As the darkness stained the sky with ink, waxy stars refusing to disappear into the void, as did Peter. Despite it being an abnormally early hour of the morning his eyes would not shut. Felecia lay next to him, slight whispers of her dreaming breath echoing inside his ears. By all means it should be him asleep, if the stereotype was to be believed, the stunning blonde having 'apologised' to him for a good hour and a half before she drifted into a coma. True the male body was filled with sleep hormones after being sated, but no amount of chemicals was going to peel away the sense of bewilderment brought on by what he had been witness to at Heaven's Gate.

The first thing that came to mind was 'That bastard! I'm gonna tear his head off!" But that was quickly taken from his mind by the wave of noxious self awareness, she's not mine to protect anymore…'. It was a horrible sight, knowing that the man MJ loved wasn't being faithful, whilst Mary Jane was probably off working hard at her play or just asleep, her defiantly not better half was in an high class nightclub with his mistress. The girl with black hair, thin and with a darkly oriental appearance, John Jameson seemed to have all the luck, as if beautiful girls flocked to him. It was at this point that Peter's ego enlightened him to the fact Felecia was hotter than John's mistress, and beyond o on a par with MJ. Still he didn't feel relaxed enough to sleep. As Spiderman Peter could have just beaten him into the floor, but even then he would have had to have done something very wrong. Despite all his power, this outrage was beyond his reach, a cheating scumbag was something he couldn't touch.

There was just something so wrong about the whole situation, about how John Jameson lived, and this really angered Peter. He was rich and famous, the entire country knew him as a hero, and for longer than he cared to remember he was the polar opposite of his father. But despite his womanising ways this never came to the fore, he was always portrayed as a kind and respectable guy, one whom was not a mincing child hungry paedophile behind a mask as his father had once put in one of his rants in his paper. To cut it short Peter was pissed, how did this cheating SOB get good press when all Spiderman got was slander and abuse? In a world ran by the media it was becoming apparent it wasn't what you did so much as who you knew. John could eat people and nobody would ever hear about it from the Daily Bugle, Spiderman stubs his toe and curses under his breath and he's accused of hurling profanity at the elderly.

Not only did the rest of the world believe that John Jameson was an upstanding American, Mary Jane did as well. There was nothing Peter could do about I either. He wanted to tell her, but how could he? The jealous guy comes and says her boyfriend is a cheat? She'd just laugh at his poor attempt to split them up and he would probably get a slap for his troubles to boot. More so he couldn't talk to her because h just couldn't, it was still awkward. He could probably handle the upsetting aspect of it, after all he was starting to regret not trying to remain her friend, but that would have been impossible at the time. There had to be a way of letting her know without Peter having to actually meet her face to face. Wait a second, Spiderman was a party without a prior history, Mary Jane wouldn't suspect him of ulterior motives, but it still held the problem of her believing it from anybody at all.

The heat from Felecia as well as his own underneath the quilt was roasting him alive, and so slowly and softly he slipped out of bed. Dragging some PJ pants on he floated silently to the window, leaning against the doorframe, supported by his shoulder he stared out across the city, its blank vision replying. Why did she have to meet him, a guy too perfect to be true, and so he wasn't. He was rich, handsome and famous, rich was attractive to most women, but to John it had turned him into a using, manipulative jackass. With great power came great responsibility, and John had shunned his responsibility as soon as he found out he could get away with it unnoticed, that alone was a crime, somebody so in the public's eye shouldn't be equally as far up his own arse. This train of thought wasn't really about him though, it was about her, it had always been about her.

Mary Jane had come flying straight back into his life with a bang, as if she had never left. It wasn't the same as before, now Peter wasn't angry at her, wasn't craving her presence, now he felt worry, pity almost. She had left Peter Parker, geek from next door for the big star, the hotshot NASA astronaut who could buy her anything she ever wanted, show her places she had only ever dreamed of. Peter had come to accept this now. He was out classed in almost every aspect, but nothing is perfect, and unfortunately for both halves of the torn childhood friendship John's flaw was commitment, if it stopped at that Peter didn't know, it could be the ripples of a big wave yet to hit him. If only she hadn't ran off with him, I could have kept her safe, I could… I could. Turning his head he gazed over at Felecia, her features warm and soft as she slept, an aura of fun still surrounding her, and with the extreme heat that had drove Peter to the window she had pushed the quilt down to her waist, defiantly the hottest woman he had ever known.

Looking back out at the city Peter saw every window, every light, the thousands of people within just the buildings he could see. He had sworn to protect these people, he had on many occasions almost given his life for them, and yet he was cursed whilst a cheating bastard like Jameson got praise. Not only that but the one woman he had always vowed to protect, the one girl who he could not let any harm come to, he was now powerless to protect, instead becoming the prophet of her heartache.

* * *

Mary Jane woke to the rough snort of her boyfriend, one who had snuck in long after she had fallen asleep. After getting through a couple of full scripts she had left it for the night and retired, vowing to wade back into the mountain of stapled A4 the next day. John seemingly didn't notice her leaving the bed, but upon her reaching the door on his side of the giant double bed he spoke, and her efforts to remain undetected had failed.

"Hey babe, where you goin?" he moaned, trying but failing to rouse himself from the bed, his body tired and spent.

"Oh, John, I didn't know you were awake. I'm just going to make some coffee, you want some?" She turned to look at him, and boy did he look rough, as if he'd been up all night.

"Yeah please. So what did you do last night? Survive without me?"

Mary Jane wasn't sure if he was joking or not, and the idea of dependence upon him made her sick, but not even John had an ego that big, she hoped.

"Yeah I managed, barely" She smirked, and he laughed slightly before yawning, "Another hard night with the boys?"

"Yeah, they really gave me a work out last night, I lost count of how many bars and clubs we hit"

Mary Jane was stood in a door frame, her curvaceous and full figure hidden by only a tight tank top and hip hugging sweat pants, She knew she looked good, damn she was just plain hot, and yet John had already rolled over and gone back to sleep. This man was beyond understanding at times. Walking into the kitchen she proceeded to feed beans into the machine as she tried to understand what had just happened. Again.

When she had first met John he was overly flirtatious and affectionate, she hadn't given into his blatant advances, and she had no intention of going all the way with him until she really knew him, but by the time she actually felt alright with the idea of having sex with him, he wasn't interested, and even before that she was beginning to feel uncomfortable with the idea. It would b the final nail in the coffin so to speak, the last thing needed to completely transform her from Mary Jane Watson into that 'John's girlfriend' person she was so afraid of becoming. What was strange was that they shared the same bed, the same flat, but other than the occasional hug and a kiss good night they were now just romantic friends, and in the early 20s that was slightly worrying.

She missed the way Peter used to look at her, the hidden glance out the corner of his eye, the awe in which he held her. She missed being able to use her model body to send his pulse racing, she needed to feel appreciated in that way, and not in a drunken fumble like most of the men in her life had attempted. Peter used to practically melt when she wore something tight fitting, a short skirt, anything that showed cleavage, she used to use it to her advantage when negotiating what film to see or which café to meet in, it made her feel sexy. Now she just felt like a worn old housewife, somebody to make coffee and provide casual meaningless conversation when the need arouse. John had also started to lose his athletic physique, not that it was all that he would have everybody believe it was in the first place. Paint shop could work wonders, but he had been out drinking and been to one too many barbeques in order to stay at his peak. During his lack of missions he had become lazy, now little less than a figurehead for NASA, an icon.

As the coffee machine at last began to spit black into her treasured batman mug Mary Jane looked over her shoulder at the dented pile of scripts, it couldn't take too long to find Peter's number in there, and with John asleep again she would make another attack on the pile. Out there was a scruffy geek with her name on, and she would be damned if she went under appreciated any longer, a down to earth girl with a body like hers should have guys begging her for attention, not having to fight in vain for some off her boyfriend. It was four hours until a rehearsal for 'Love will tear us apart', and that was a lot of script damage. It was opening night soon, but Mary Jane had another idea in her head. When she finally dumped John, when all her stuff was packed and she had found an apartment, she would finally do a photo shoot for Maxim. After her Emma Rose advertising they had been begging her, but it as in bad taste according to John's mother "having so many working class men salivating over your body'. It would be the ultimate act of defiance. MJ couldn't wait.

* * *

Hey look at that I didn't end with a cliffhanger! Shock Horror! Its only really an explanation of what both characters are thinking in the after math of the first day of events, after all most of this story so far has unfolded in one night. Please review; it cheered me up to know your enjoying this! 


	9. Past and Present

**Of The Twilight Hours**

Sequel to 'Midnight is Meant to Be'

Disclaimer: I own none of Marvel/Stan Lee's creations, only the scenario and original characters in this story.

_Under Jedi Influence: Yes I'm back, thank you for the reviews, especially you Sib! I'm back by demand, even if it's only a few of you loyal guys n gals who I write for, that's all I ask for!_

* * *

Peter sat on the edge of Felecia's bed picking at a bowl of dry honey nut cornflakes; the only milk in the fridge was so old it was practically cheese. The television buzzed on mute as Peter just stared blankly at the screen. It was 8.15, the morning after a hell of a night. Felecia wasn't such a big drinker most of the time, but when she did go on a bender her advanced metabolism sorted it out over night, no hangovers, except possibly from the fact she was a hellcat when drunk, and that resulted in a hangover from no sleep. After a life threatening fight, she hadn't drank too much at Heaven's Gate, exhausted to the point when she fell asleep before him, not so unusual, but she wore him out quite a lot.

The golden flakes crunched between his teeth, the sound of the brittle cereal breaking reverberated through his head in the silence of the warm apartment. As the sun bathed his body in gold Peter's mind wandered from Felecia's stamina to everything else about her, the small things he dwelled upon, thinks he didn't know yet. Felecia was 'The Black Cat', an acrobatic superhero with very few powers, well none really, just a few enhancements. She was stronger, faster and more agile than normal people, also she had proved to have stamina rivalling his on many an occasion… Damn stop thinking like that, morn-horn or not he wasn't in the mood.

Other than her advanced physical abilities she had no other special weapons, just a grappling arm for swing around the city. One of her biggest assets were her biggest assets, combined with her charm gave her an ability to stun most if not all males on sight, her skin tight leather cat suit never being zipped up far past her navel. Maybe if Peter had impressive cleavage he wouldn't get so much stick from the media? Then again he would probably get more for obvious reasons, it wasn't too bad, after all nobody had managed to really get a good photo of Cat since the city's leading superhero photographer had quit his job. He had been toying with the idea of letting the city know just how gorgeous his girlfriend was, but no good would really come of such an ego trip.

Felecia's father Jack Hardy was an international businessman, and he owned a mansion on the outskirts of the city, his constant trips and phone dealings having made him a rich man. To this end the beautiful white blonde was not stuck for money, often having the mansion to herself when her father was away, which was how Peter had first come to know of her wealth. It was a few months down the line when Felecia had finally gotten her claws into Spiderman, and the morning after revealed Peter to the awe inspiring Ms. Hardy, and Peter to the realisation that a life as Peter was becoming intolerably dull compared to that of his costumed alter ego. Felecia didn't freak out when she saw his face in the harsh light of the mansion's morning, instead her simply curled up to him, and everything had flowed naturally from there. She was always winding him up, was highly seductive and also bright and bubbly despite his sometimes-grim demeanour, an attitude that made him smile through the most painful of wounds.

He didn't however have that much knowledge about the origin of her feline persona.

All he knew was that in one of his various travelling business trips, Jack Hardy had come into the possession of a super human formula, the like of which had been used to created the legendary Captain America. Felecia had no idea how it worked, but she had told him that after somebody had shot her cat with a rifle she had ingested the small vial of liquid in her father's safe and hunted the gunman down, beating him unconscious before throwing him through the front door of the local precinct. Peter remember the headlines well "Assault on Precinct 13", something about a mystery woman attacking the building with an unconscious man as a weapon, journalism in this city had really taken a nose dive.

In honour of her fallen friend Felecia had adopted the persona of Black Cat following the realisation that she could make a difference. The rest as they say is history, but other than her background Peter knew lots of little things about her, things like her cat's name was Snuggles, kissing her on the inside of her thighs made her shiver and her favourite movie was Escape from New York. She was a mix of hyper girly girl and tough chick, one that Peter often found captivatingly unpredictable. Upon this thought Peter found he had arms encircling his neck, a warm soft body pressing against his healing back.

"Why the hell do you always get up so early? You make me feel lazy!" She moaned behind his ear as he placed his now empty bowl on the floor. He tilted his head to one side in an attempt to see her out the corner of his eye.

"You are lazy!" He smirked, the mocking tone present in his voice but none the less it was true he always got up early, it came with the constant patrolling and educational life.

"That maybe, but your not meant to tell me!" She squeezed him tighter, "Whatever am I going to do with you?"

"Not send me for breakfast again, as per usual we forgot to get food and I went last time" Peter knew she would send him anyway, but it was worth a try. She pulled him back onto the bed, slipping around him to pin him to the mattress by his shoulders.

"When I ask you what you want me to do with you, you say don't send you for food?" She looked down playfully, but her eyes were dark, "Have you no imagination?" In a state of undress and with male morning madness Felecia could and would drive him berserk, wielding her hips like a weapon she exacted a deep shudder of pleasure from Peter before he grabbed her and showed her exactly what he wanted her to do with him.

* * *

Page one hundred and seventy four, top left hand corner is deeply engraved blue ink, the name Peter, and below it a set of numbers. Simple digits, but so hard to find, and such relief upon their uncovering, Mary Jane smirked, picking up her mobile from next to her. Unlocking it, she accessed the add number feature, then with a strange sense of déjà vu she typed in Peter, then triple checked the numbers she had entered after it. At last, Peter was with 5 seconds of contact, but now she was scared, it now dawned on her that although she could speak to him, he might not want to listen.

The clock on her phone showed the time, it was 10.30, and she had to be at the theatre by 11. Crap! Jumping up MJ had to find a way of getting to the theatre on time, it was a few blocks over, but she wasn't dressed yet or anything. If late it would probably result in some earache, but not much else, she hadn't been late before and a slip up once was excusable. After her rehearsal, which was short today, she would buy some credit for her mobile and call in at a property shop, an apartment was something which was becoming more desperate by the day, if not the minute. In order to dump John MJ had to have somewhere to go, and if she didn't sort it out soon she would end up being homeless, her patience with the astronaut was shortening.

* * *

"What are you doing today?" Peter asked, looking down at a long strand of hair he was wrapping around two of his fingers. He lay on his back, Felecia's head on his chest watching the news on Television.

"I'm going to watch a play rehearsal again, Jonah's orders" She saint faintly, her breath deep and retiring. "He's got me writing a column every other day about it's progress, pretty lame if you ask me, but then theatre always is"

"Its weird you know, me asking you about working at the Bugle, now I'm on the outside I kinda miss the hustle and bustle of the place. At least one of us works there, somebody needs to keep Jonah in line while Robbie is in hospital" Peter had to pay his old boss a visit, he had been hit by a car on the way back from work one night, Peter had nailed the SOB who did it, a drunken 16 year old.

"What about you? Going to swing around the city in your pyjamas again?" She laughed as another news article flickered onto the television, a few images of a prison.

"Hey! I object to that, just because my uniform isn't as alluring as your cat suit" He flickered her on the back of her ear

"Ow! I was joking!" she chuckled, "Besides, what do you think attracted to me in the first place? It surely wasn't your magic the gathering deck award" She laughed, before her breath hithed as his cold hand moved over her side.

"I was twelve! And besides, I think you've got a think for geeks, all the Star Wars drives you, hey put the volume on" He saw a picture of Rhino on the screen, the a following on of Shocker holding his info card.

Felecia laughed, "Probably just going to tell everybody how me beat them black and blue, again"

The volume was brought up to thirty, and the images suddenly made sense.

"Both criminals, the two men known as Rhino and Shocker were locked up in the early hours of this morning after being defeated by reports claim Spiderman and his female comrade Black Cat. Upon checking their holding cells this morning guards found both dead, within their enclosures, we have yet to receive any word of how they died. We will keep you posted"

* * *

_Please review and let me know what you think, its what keeps me going! And Sib if your email is broke just lemme know the details in a review ok?_


	10. Reflections

**Of The Twilight Hours**

Sequel to 'Midnight is Meant to Be'

Disclaimer: I own none of Marvel/Stan Lee's creations, only the scenario and original characters in this story.

_Horror: Thanks to Jodi M, I realised I can't spell! I can, I checked my earlier chapters, but because I've quick fired out the last few chapters at a stupid time of the morning there are so many spelling and Grammar mistakes I am embarrassed! I'll try to get back to how it used to be, Felicia instead of Felecia…_

* * *

"What the hell?" Felicia broke the silence, both faces conveying shock at the news.

"How the, they were both alive, we didn't kill them!" Peter said in subtle astonishment, his voice a mix of thought and exclamation.

"How do you know we didn't? You buried Rhino under a building!" She turned sharply to Peter.

"Oh please, I've done worse to him in the past! Remember when I told you that builder knocked him out with a wrecking ball? The guy's a tank; it wasn't me that killed him! Or Shocker!" Peter knew something as minor café on his back wasn't enough to even cause a headache when he woke up, the death of both Rhino and Shocker was too quick, that fact it was only those two who had escaped that had been found dead wasn't a coincidence.

The news cackled in the wake of Peter's defence.

"The police are now asking Spiderman and Black Cat to come in for questioning, these deaths are being treated as suspicious," The caster continued. "More on this later, back to you Diane"

"They think we're murderers?" Felicia cried out, "We didn't kill anybody!" Peter reached out and gripped her wrist.

"Hey. Hey I know we didn't, they said they haven't yet released their cause of death to the media yet; once they do we'll be cleared. Bugle's gonna have a field day with this though"

"I can't believe this, I mean I wouldn't wish anybody dead but these two almost killed a café full of civilians and us last night, I would just bury them and shut the book" Felicia said in bewilderment.

"I know what you mean but that's not how it works, and besides who ever can kill Rhino might prove a bigger problem than the two of them ever could" Peter sensed something about this whole think stank.

"What a great start to the day!" Felicia's sarcasm tickled his ears as she rose from the bed, "better get a move on to the theatre before you distract me again". She disappeared into the bathroom and Peter rolled to sit on the side of the bed. Today he had to go to work, and then go on patrol; it was going to be another busy day.

* * *

Mary Jane approached the back row of the theatre from its stage, her rehearsal was over and now she could either sit at watch the new male lead rush through his lines or get looking for an apartment. The latter was almost instantly chosen, but just as MJ was going to bypass the last row of seats Felicia walked in, smiling upon recognition of her friend.

"Hey Red! How much have I missed? I got 'distracted' again" The blonde smiled, it was well known to MJ exactly what it took to distract her friend.

"You guys never stop do you? Oh you haven't missed much, I just ran through a few scenes, nothing major" You can interview the new lead, its his second day" Mary Jane sounded hopeful, but with only a few days until opening it might crash and burn. After Johnny Storm got fired in the wake of her original leading man being killed, there wasn't much room for error; third time lucky was what the director was counting on.

"Hey, he's pretty cute Red, and you get to make out with him?" Felicia was always straight to the point with men.

"Yep, and you don't" She smirked, the blonde expressing over the top hurt at such a thing.

"Ow, my pride!" she laughed, "Were you going already? I thought we could chat whilst I wait for cutie to finish up?" MJ could spare a few minutes, and so sat down next to her friend on the back row.

"So how's life with Mr. Motivator?" Felicia was well aware of the fact Mary Jane was disillusioned with her boyfriend.

"I'm going apartment hunting after this, finally getting out" She sighed, "I don't think he sees there is anything wrong though, I feel kind of guilty"

Felicia's brow wrinkled at this. "Red the guy is a loser, famous or not. I know that you've been having a hard time finding somewhere to go, or else I trust you would have dropped this guy a long time ago"

"At least its finally happening, I can finally have my life back" Mary Jane perked up, "Your right, if he can't see that I'm not happy he's not even worth my guilt. I mean I wasn't ever really that interested in him, I had ulterior motives for dating a rich famous guy, I guess that makes me cheap"

"Hell no, I mean you haven't slept with they guy have you so what's the big deal? I myself would have gone insane after 8 months on the shelf, but hey, that's me all over" Felicia's humour always cheered Mary Jane up, it was one of the reasons they had quickly become friends when the reporter began to interview the actress. " What ulterior motives then? Career climbing or what?"

"Hey, I'm not that bad! It was a guy, isn't it always a guy" at this Mary Jane blushed, and Felicia's interest was aroused, "I was introduced to John by my friend Liz originally, he was cute and charming, but I had eyes for somebody else, somebody who kept turning me down. I was going to use John to make him jealous, but then one night I was suddenly, you know, feeling courageous and snagged him, thing is he found out about John and thought I was going to keep them both" MJ's face suddenly dropped, "It turned out he loved me as much as I loved him, but he thought I was just using him"

"Boy that sucks Red" Felicia pouted at the idea of this still upsetting her friend; he must have been a hell of a catch to leave such a scar. "I won't pry anymore, but once you're free from Johnny boy you'll be back to your old self and you'll find a guy who actually notices you exist"

"I hope your right, I mean I've spent so long just going along with life, I feel almost dirty, I was so upset over him I just fell in with John, days blurred into weeks an I've ended up here" Mary Jane rubbed the back of her neck as she spoke, "Its taken this long to get over him, and yet all I can think about is trying to find him again. I know it won't happen but I just have to try you know?"

"Yeah I know what you mean, A decent guy is hard to find, I don't think there are enough to go around" Felicia looked up, The director was storming off stage and the bewildered look on the new male lead's face told her it was time to bag her interview.

"I think he's finished, I'll let you go" Felicia stood up, walking a few paces down towards the stage before turning to wave her friend goodbye

"Catch you later Red"

"Yeah see you at the last rehearsal right?" MJ approached the exit.

"Sure thing" Felicia replied as she head towards the stage, Mary Jane had the rest of the day off, and she wasn't going to waste a minute.

* * *

Sat in the park Mary Jane listened to the children play as she looked down at her cell phone, it was a simple device, but she had suddenly forgotten how to use it. After so long dreaming of him, it was too easy to just press a button or two and hear his voice, there had to be a trick to it, something would go wrong. But if the day was constant, he would answer and proclaim her undying love to her. So far so good, but she wasn't ready for this.

This morning she had managed to avoid John because he fell asleep again, and then found Peter's number. Arriving late to rehearsal Mary Jane wasn't even abused, the new male lead soaking up all the director's abuse. Felicia arrived and cheered her up, then Mary Jane had found the perfect apartment in only the second place she had looked. It was far from John's penthouse but it was warm and small, hardwood flooring and a balcony. It would be quite expensive, but with the photo shoot she was going to do it should all work out nicely, or so she hoped. She had smiled ear to ear when she had been told she could move in as soon as she was ready, now all that stood in her way was the deposit. That and one more thing, breaking it off with John Jameson, the guy who she had spent the last 8 months with, only to wake up and realise that she had never really wanted to be with him, just not to be alone.

It was a silly thing to do, but after everything went so right that wet night, when everything felt so good only for it to crack before her eyes, the mirror shattered, and all she saw was herself, fragmented and scattered.

She had to admit, that being so strong all her life, she had only ever let one person in, Peter Parker, and when that one person looked at her in disgust it broke her more than she could cope with. John was just there, and she effortlessly fell into the routine of being his platonic girlfriend, it helped keep her from slipping away into the dark, from the truth. Now she had to end the façade, and although she couldn't wait to be free, it pained her to have to break this to John when he didn't even seem to realise she was far from happy. How to bring up the topic that your leaving him when he thinks everything is better than okay, but none the less it had to be done.

As the day started to dim, the attractive redhead started to walk towards the park entrance, her phone had credit, she had an apartment lined up, all she needed to do was finish John, pack her bags and leave, then in a few days it was opening night and all this would be behind her. Then she could get the courage up to call Peter, despite her fears about him hanging up straight away she had to do it, conquer her fears.

As the troubled actress crossed the road outside the park, she walked unaware of the three shadows that had just begun to stalk her.

* * *

_This is the big ten, and so I tried to make it a good one, purely character building though, please let me know what you think! As that little review counter grows so does my enthusiasm!_


	11. Easy Prey

**Of The Twilight Hours**

Sequel to 'Midnight is Meant to Be'

Disclaimer: I own none of Marvel/Stan Lee's creations, only the scenario and original characters in this story.

_FREEDOM: Thanks for your feedback, I'm glad you all liked it. I'll try and keep the quality up, and as you can tell by the fact I started this author's note with freedom in big letters, I'm moving soon, escaping the cess pit town I'm stuck in, happy days! Oh and Lapis Lazuli is a precious blue gem._

* * *

Mary Jane walked casually down the road as she thought about the week to come, the promises it held to deliver on, and whether or not she would be smiling this time next week, where she would be in both body and mind. Everything was going to change, and she guessed not everything would go as well as she hoped, city life was never simple, and Mary Jane was well aware that it wasn't any of the events which were going to take place that occupied her mind, it was something she could firmly control. John, he was a foregone conclusion, her decision to leave him and his rich circle was one she could not avoid, she didn't belong there and no matter how much his friend and family had tried not to look down on her their voices were always smeared with condescending spite, it was painful to even think about meeting his mother again.

Truth be told John's family hadn't always been able to hold such a lavish lifestyle, not until his father had become editor of the bugle, and even then they hadn't really rolled like they did today until his mother had let the money go to her head. It was a pity, but even then, John was smart and good looking, but his conversation was monotonous, his hobbies repetitive and despite his brains he often had no idea about simple things. It wasn't John on which the approaching week rested, it was upon a stranger, somebody lost at sea, on his willingness to let her explain, to just let her back in. even if she was only a vague acquaintance at first, she needed to be able to talk to him as a friend. Peter used to be the guy who she would go to when things got too much for her, when something she couldn't trust anybody else with was burning her up, he was not only a confidant, he was her best friend, often her only real friend.

Over the course of her life Peter had always been there, every time she needed him, even when she didn't he would make her smile, sometimes because he was such a dork it was unbelievable to somebody as popular as her at school, it was cruel but she had never really laughed at him, she just found him outlandish at times. She had moved in next door to him, he and his aunt and uncle made her feel welcome when her parents had fights, and she had found shelter at Peter's house for most of her childhood, until they finally drifted apart when they entered high school.

Peter had grown up into a skinny nerd, glasses like goggles and a scruffy appearance at best, were as Mary Jane's looks instantly shot her up the social ladder, forgiven but not forgotten no doubt by her friend from next door. She had barely seen Peter during the years since going to school and the last year, that was when she noticed him again. Not much had changed, he was taller, but still had a penchant for worn old clothes and hiding his face behind mile deep lenses, they often exchanges looked, a weak smile from him made her feel kind of sore for how she had drifted away from him, he had stayed the same, but Mary Jane knew that he was a nice guy underneath his less than popular reputation, maybe one night she could give him style lessons or something.

In the last few weeks of high school she saw him walk past her in the corridor, his face was hanging low, but she could see his eyes, deep as wells of lapis Lazuli and just as dark at the bottom. It was so strange to see him without his famous bottle glasses on, but what she found underneath was gorgeous, but dark with pain. She hadn't dwelled upon it until she had been told by her friend Liz that his uncle Ben had been killed, that Peter had refused to miss school despite this made her remember just how much Peter had helped her during her childhood, it was about time she returned the favour. It was just after this that everything went to hell, she had that regrettable episode with Harry, and then that nightmare with the goblin, then Norman Osborne's funeral. It was roughly only a week after that she had bought those tickets and demanded Peter come with her, she had managed to break his resolve concerning him only being her friend, but John Jameson had managed to break his heart, If only Liz hadn't given him her number, MJ wasn't even interested in the guy she had met by accident.

Everything had gone insane after Peter Parker reappeared in her life. At the start of high school she left him as a scrawny geek, he joined her at the end as a well-built genius, and she felt the fool for ever letting him out of her sight, something she quickly tried to rectify. She had been pushed away, but she knew it wasn't what he wanted, and Mary Jane never gave up on something she wanted. Ever since her first boyfriend Mary Jane had never had to be forceful with guys, they came to her, but not Peter. He had always hung around in the back whilst the other guys came on to her, that night was so out of character, but with him she felt safe, as if she could do whatever she wanted around him. It had worked, but then he had fled.

Trying not to pry on the past any longer Mary Jane looked down at the phone she had in her hand, she held in her hand the key to the past, a way to unlock those happy memories she clung too and forget the pain of that night and the resulting 8 months it took to get herself back together. Just as she was looking down Mary Jane was thrown to her left, landing harshly on her side she let out a surprised screech as she skidded to a stop.

* * *

Felicia sat at her desk in the bugle, with only an hour left she had to weave an article on the progress of the play. It was the last pre premier report because opening night was two days away. It Saturday night and Felicia had the day off tomorrow, but this had to be in the Sunday paper or JJ would rip her a new ass. It was almost done, and then she could get back to Peter. Oh wait he was meant to be 'out' tonight, Damn. Maybe once she got this done she might go and inspect the city, after all when the cat is away the mice will play.

Felicia couldn't afford to spend so much time behind the mask, not like Peter. He told Felicia that he used to worry about becoming Spiderman, that he might lose Peter to his witty alter ego completely, but now that wasn't such a big problem. Felicia knew that was because they both lived that life, it was because she knew who he was and where he was, no excuses or lies, it was refreshing to him, Felicia had never really had to deal with it like that, not like him. Peter had a drive, a strong sense of responsibility when it came to helping people, Felicia also wanted to help people, but she never put the city ahead of her in everyday life, only when something serious came along. Peter was an angel, and who ever he chose to let inside of his mask wasn't good enough for him, which was what made her feel so special.

A spoilt rich girl who was used to getting everything she wanted when she wanted it, he had shown her that life was a gift, not something to pass by manipulating guys and wasting money. It was the simple things that counted, and so far he was the only guy Felicia wouldn't class as sub-par in the sack, which was high praise indeed because Felicia knew that she could be extremely harsh on people, but Peter was gradually wearing her down, she was even beginning to tip people in the service industry now, shock horror. She was a very lucky girl, and she knew it, all the more reason to get this article in so she could see him sooner.

* * *

Shaken, the dying light of the day obscured from her face by three large figures standing over the fallen redhead, Mary Jane simply looked up at them. She had been thrown into an alleyway, and now she was simply looking up at them silently, none of them moved, nobody spoke, they stood with the light to their backs, all she could see was black shapes.

Scrambling to her feet suddenly Mary Jane turned and dashed into the alleyway, hoping to escape, only to find a double door with no handle, an emergency door from a building that couldn't be opened from this side. Panic set in as she noticed the three large figures slowly staking up the alleyway, with the dark walls rising into the heavens on either side of her, the 8 foot wide side space suddenly took on the menacing atmosphere of a crypt, graffiti, trash and a steam vent to her side, these aspects were all taken in by the girl, wide eyed terror now taking a firm hold.

They stopped a couple of steps ahead, looming over her, giants.

"Well look what we have here boys, a hot date" the centre shape grunted, his voice rough like a rusting razor.

"Looks like a first night fucker to me Bex" Said the right behemoth, stepping forwards he walked with his hands pointing firmly towards her chest. Unexpectedly the potential rape victim, who now had small tears whispering from her eyes slashed the man's hand, blood was drawn by her nails, and within seconds he found MJ's foot buried between his legs. The man crumpled to the floor in a pool of curses, trying to run past Mary Jane was forcefully slammed into the wall of the alleyway and held there.

"Oh, a feisty redhead, I'm going to enjoy this!" His chords grated over her ears.

Just as she closed her eyes, trying to block out what was going to happen, his hands suddenly left her arms and she opened them as strange sounds filled the deep alley. For the second time in one week she found herself watching Spiderman save her, pinned to the wall she watched as he squared off against the three large men picking themselves up off the floor. She hard the bright clink of metal as one pulled a flick knife, and then the three pounced.

The lead thug took a straight fist to his nose, a sharp crack as it broke and the momentum of his approach carried him into a spiral fall to the left of the webhead. The second swung his knife only to have the superhero pull back just enough to dodge it, and then he was knocked on his back, not to get up again. The last, the man she had heard called Bex was simply smothered in webbing and fell to the floor wriggling in a cocoon. Spiderman turned to the petrified girl.

"I hate amateurs, I mean jeez three guys in 10 seconds, why do I bother?"

Mary Jane didn't reply straight away. "Can you get me outta here?"

"Sure, I want to talk to you anyway" Peter tried to act confident, he wasn't sure if it was working.

Pulling her to him, his breath was sharply inhaled as she wrapped herself around him. His legs bent, then they flew straight up, landing only a few feet from the top of the building. Climbing the remaining wall they arrived on top of the tall park rim restaurant.

Peter gazed at her through his eye pieces, she seemed alright on the outside, he didn't even want to think about what would have happened if he hadn't being doing laps of the park in boredom. Then she spoke, turning to him he was in awe as her stray hairs blew across her penetrating green eyes.

"Can you take me home, I have something to show you"

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_Please review and let me know what you think!_


	12. Autumn Palette

**Of The Twilight Hours**

Sequel to 'Midnight is Meant to Be'

Disclaimer: I own none of Marvel/Stan Lee's creations, only the scenario and original characters in this story.

_I'm very very bored: Funny that somebody should ask for action just before things start to kick off, I guess its just good timing eh? Glad you like it so far, please keep that feedback rolling in with any suggestions or queries. _

* * *

Touching down lightly on top of the skyscraper Peter stood rigidly looking down at his passenger, she was now standing on her own two feet, her legs unwrapped from his waist. There were countless wise cracks about him being between her legs but he was a superhero, not a pervert, but even if he was his voice would have to convey said wise crack and it wasn't seeming to work. Still clinging to him despite being stood on solid ground Mary Jane suddenly slipped from him, blushing slightly from having held on so longer after landing. Stepping back his head turned to look her in the eyes, and she was already missing his body heat.

It was the roof of John's penthouse, the disintegrating afternoon sun casting the scene as autumn, complementing the red of her hair perfectly, as Peter looked on she appeared to belong there, everything down to the colours fitted without question, and the rose blush on her cheeks made him aware of his mute attention.

"What's wrong?" She asked, his stare wasn't unwelcome but it was slightly disconcerting. She was aware that she probably looked a state after being thrown around by those bastards in the alleyway, maybe he was laughing at her.

"Oh nothing, I, just admiring the view" He coughed out, short of telling her she took his breath away it was true, depending on what she thought he was looking at. Hell she must have noticed he was staring at her, she is only a step away, so much for your wise remark Pete!

"Like anything you see?" She smiled shyly and flicked a stray collection of hairs from her face as the wind scattered everything stray from the ground. If she wasn't seeing things he had just tensed up, it wasn't hard to tell in that skintight suit of his. Had she really got the amazing Spiderman over a barrel? So much for John not paying her any attention, she now had her superhero stalker back and they seemed to be flirting! Her shy smile suddenly took her a confidant shine, over the past few days Mary Jane Watson had finally picked herself back up after her fall, after being on the floor for 8 months there was no time for walking, it was time to run.

"Heh, erm so what did you want to show me?" He hoped she didn't notice he just kind of laughed that question off, but he was curious as to what exactly MJ wanted to show Spiderman, what could she possibly think was so important? Or maybe it wasn't, maybe she just wanted the company whilst her boyfriend was out with his other woman. 'Oh hell, should I tell her?' He thought nervously, 'But she wouldn't believe me! Would she?'

He obviously just ended their little game and so it was time to take him home. "Follow me"

She turned on the ball of her foot and walked around a large dome of glass to a hatch, which she opened and then beckoned the following superhero to follow, "Down here"

The redhead disappeared down into the hatch and out the corner of his eye he saw Mary Jane stood on the hardwood floor of her apartment, the hatch leading down into the same apartment he had fled from when he was meant to interview John Jameson… What if he wasn't out? If he was here then one of three things would happen.

A: He and MJ start acting like a couple and I flee in terror

B: I cave his head in for cheating on MJ, she deserves so much more and he still deceives her.

C: If I manage to control my temper and he and MJ don't start with the lover's stuff then I will no doubt get hassled because his father likens me to the anti Christ.

It wasn't a good thing to be here in the first place, being anywhere near MJ had been a big no-no ever since he had found out about John and her, and despite the relative mental safety of being behind the mask, it still brought too many memories to the fore. Despite this he found himself dropping down into the hatch, bypassing the ladder for a straight drop. Landing softly on the polished wood of the floor he found Mary Jane leaning against the back of a white sofa, the exact position he had been in when she had walked in after John, the same day he quit his job at the Bugle.

There was a small kitchen area, separated from the main living area by a large expensive looking Asian rug, then a four seating white leather sofa, all this surrounded by pale coloured decorations and paintings, everything was so white, the whole room like a blank canvas.

"Welcome to the most expensive penthouse in Manhattan" Smiled Mary Jane, "Haven for the rich and famous, it's a little piece of heaven right here in NYC" She looked down at her own feet, and Peter wasn't sure how to take the tone in her voice with which those words were conveyed. The words told him she was beyond happy, but her tone said otherwise, her body language told him she wasn't at all happy. Did she know already?

"You don't sound like your in heaven" His tone now a questioning one, he begged for an answer, an explanation.

"The first time I'd seen you in ages, and I asked you to take me home. Without asking or being told you brought me straight back here. Why? How did you know this is where I live?"

Oh crap! How can I tell her its because I am really Peter Parker and that you boyfriends father told me where you live? Why didn't you ask last time you brought her here? How stupid can you be?

"You've been stalking me again haven't you?" She smiled, seemingly perking up since her talk of her boyfriend's property. "I think you've been keeping tabs on me"

Peter shrugged; maybe she would explain it away for him. "Well I can't have my favourite actress in any danger can I? Who would light up Broadway then?"

"Ah Ha! I knew it!" She giggled, but inside her mind something told her somebody else had told her she would light up Broadway before. Oh well, it was probably her aunt Anna, as for now she had to just hope John wasn't in, but he never was at this time.

"Is Jameson here?" Asked Spiderman just as she was asking herself in her head.

"I hope not" She sighed before walking over to the kitchen, looking over at the machine it still had a few beans left in it. Reaching over to open the cupboard she turned to look at the bewildering sight of a superhero perched on the edge of her island counter. The stark contrast between his brightly coloured suit and the boring white background went someway to explaining her life with and without him, bright and flashy with, boring and plain without.

"Coffee?" She asked off hand, "I'm making one anyway" The follow on was because she knew he probably had somewhere to be, offing him something out of sheer generosity would probably be turned down.

"Err yeah okay" He was pretty thirsty and she still hadn't let him in on whatever it was she wanted him to see. Plus he was still debating as to mention John cheating on her or not.

"Why do you hope your boyfriend isn't here? Think he'll get jealous your hanging out with a guy who makes spandex look good? Everybody knows its damn hard to look as fine as I do in this stuff" Pinching his side he let his costume twang back into place,

Mary Jane laughed, and then she seemed to sink. "He's not my boyfriend, or at least not for much longer anyway, the guys dead weight"

Did Peter just hear that right? Mary Jane was finishing with the magical wonder man John Jameson. How did this happen, when? Did she know he was cheating on her? She must do if she was going to dump him, he was the perfect guy, or at least that's how Peter saw him in his head. This had suddenly made him feel almost sick, but in a confused manor, kind of like shock, it was taking time to process the ramifications.

"But I always thought you two were the perfect couple?" He was almost choking on his words now, but trying his best to compensate so she didn't hear it.

"Hell no, I mean he is a nice guy and he's not one anything specifically wrong but he's just not the guy for me, plus this penthouse is driving me crazy" The machine was filled with beans from the bag she had pulled out of the cupboard., "All this, its just not me. You know what I mean?"

"And there was me thinking rich and famous was every woman's dream" Peter sounded almost bitter. The image he had made up in his head to dull the knife in his heart was seemingly false and he wasn't sure how to take it.

"Really? Sounds to me like you've been consorting with the wrong females. I just want a normal life, I hate all this, I just want to do what I want when I want, and not have to worry about what a guys snob of a mother says about me" Getting this off her chest was rewarding, she instantly felt so much better.

"So Jameson's old woman is a piece of work too, I always wondered what kept JJ 'perma-pissed', now I know" So Mary Jane wasn't the money hungry social climber he had tried to convince himself she was, but all along he knew she wasn't, it just helped with the fact he had lost her, to what he had thought was a better man.

"I'm moving out in a few days, Just in case you have to take me home again." She chuckled slightly, "But I'm sure being a stalker you'll know where I am before I do"

"You better believe it". He was passed a scolding hot mug; he had been so wrapped up in what MJ was telling him that he hadn't even noticed the machine go off. Mary Jane was moving out? As in she was really breaking it off with John? He couldn't believe it, all this time, every waking moment he had unwanted thoughts creep into his mind about how happy MJ was with John, stray metal images of the in the park, in bed… All this had shattered everything he had built in his head to protect him, the shelter the wound she left him with. It was happening less now he was with Felicia, but for 8 months he had had to shake out images, sounds of her pleasure, anything he didn't want to hear his head concocted to torture him with, now he knew she was single what would his head throw at him now?

"I'll be glad when I'm out of here, I have a few things up my sleeve, lets just say you'll be seeing more of me" She smiled at this, and underneath the mask Peter's face contorted in worry, 'What the hell does she mean by that?'

"Anyway, I kinda just wanted to show you this." Mary Jane pulled a booklet to her from the other side of the kitchen island counter, flicking to a page with a post-it note in she turned it to Spiderman and pointed at the top right hand image. Sipping coffee after having rolled up his mask to his nose. Looking down it was a picture of a balcony, one in the middle row, second from the top by the looks of it.

"That's going to be my new pad, thought I'd show you so you can, ya know, swing by" She smirked at her own little funny, "Since you saved me again I thought I could do something for you, ya know, like cook or something?"

Is she asking me out? Is she trying to shack up with Spiderman? "I erm, err"

"Just as friends, I mean I think I owe you something now, for the rides home at least" The uncertainty in his stuttering was obvious.

"I might take you up on that, nothing fancy mind you" Am I really saying this? I mean I'm meant to be out saving people and I'm in a girl's apartment having coffee and arranging a dinner date?

"Oh yeah, well I can't really cook anyway, but I can open a variety of packets if you can believe that" Her self deprecating wit always made him smile, she had certainly not lost any of her charm.

"Chips are good" He relied as he flicked himself soundlessly off her counter corner and back to the floor, placing his empty mug where he was previously crouched.

"Chips it is then, whenever you feel hungry just drop in k?" He was going, but she was amazed he had stayed this long.

"Will do. Gotta go!" With that he had jumped straight up through the hatch and out onto the roof, landing in a crouch he dived straight over the edge, plummeting head first at least 200 feet until he finally shot out a web line and screeched away from the tall apartment building. Mary Jane was at the window watching him fade into a dot in the distance.

"All kinds of amazing"

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_Please let me know what you think!_


	13. In The Lonley Night

**Of The Twilight Hours**

_Sequel to 'Midnight is Meant to Be'_

Disclaimer: I own none of Marvel/Stan Lee's creations, only the scenario and original characters in this story.

_Sniff Sniff: So far no complaints besides you SMA, but I understand what your saying, I will try to cater for your tastes in another fic, bit of a challenge for myself but as for this one I'd freak if it stopped being so 'reflective' mid story! I meant chips as in potato chips, but I am English, trying to talk American and failing miserably!_

* * *

Swinging away as fast as his arms would carry him, Peter only stopped a quarter hour after leaving that penthouse, that room, that girl. 

Hitting the roof with a harsh thud, he skidded to a stop that left his toes dangling over the edge of the opposite side. Standing on the roof, inches from falling, his mind was somewhere else, looking down at the pavement as night started to take its hold, the streetlights flickered to live, their bulbs sparking his eyes, blinding him, he blinked, and upon opening he found he could think again, but too many thoughts then came at once.

"She's breaking up with John?" Shock "She's single" Scenarios "She was trying it on with Spiderman!" Jealousy, Disgust "Damn she looked hot" She always did.

"What was I doing in there?" he spoke only a rough low tone, but it was the sound of his own voice that broke his thought loop, the question it asked of him giving a suitable place to start answering, to start sorting his head out.

I, she said she had something to show me. What the hell are you doing, why would anything she has interest you? She doesn't know your Peter, you had no choice, and Spiderman can't hate her just because you do! I don't hate her, but I don't believe her do I? For all I know she could be just moving out and trying to double time John, just like she was with me. But she seemed so genuine, and I never did tell her about John being a cheat, should I have?

Ah crap, I still can't make sense of this. I mean all she did was tell me she is dumping John, and I didn't even tell her he was a cheat. She just offered Spiderman food, a sort of reciprocation, which was simple, no more, no less a problem than that. Was it even a problem? Yes it was, because people had always tried to talk to him, to make Spiderman a creature of the media, a social animal, Peter had always fled, but not tonight. Just like school, she had captivated him, her choice of what she said, what she didn't how, when and why. Everything about her stole his will, and he felt almost powerless, but that was only because he couldn't be honest with her, he was somebody else. Just like Mary Jane had told him once, something she had said to him that meant so much to him.

"I've always had to act, with everybody I have to be somebody else, party girl MJ or something, depends who expects what from me, but with you its different. I can be myself with you, you don't expect anything, I can just be…me"

Now he knew how she felt, it was hard having to act out a persona in public, trying to convince people your something your not twenty four seven. He had only just had a small taster of it, and right then, Peter knew he was scared. Stood in the darkening sky, he knew that for the first time in almost a year he didn't hate Mary Jane Watson, and that lack of simple anger towards her left a void he wasn't prepared to venture into.

* * *

Felicia stood in her apartment, the release of a yawn was finally allowed now her article was finished. Unbuttoning her shirt she threw it onto her pile of clothes in the corner sat on the side of her bed and started to unlace her boots. After being in the office for so long the silence felt unwelcome on ears and after a quick groping session of her bed she found the TV remote underneath the messy sheets, flicking on the box it was just as quickly discarded. As the second piece of footwear hit the floor Felicia pushed herself off the bed, despite her being tired she still had to go out and find Peter, he was out there on patrol, and she really wanted to see him. 

He wouldn't be coming back any time soon, and looking at her cat suit hung from her wardrobe handle she knew it would take awhile to find him. Even so a shower was a necessary post work treat, and it wouldn't be given up no matter what. Stripping off in front of the bathroom mirror she looked at her own face, she looked relatively normal. Her hair was tied back, make up very light but evident, and she was just back from work, having a quick shower before going out for the night with her guy. True it wasn't exactly the kind of night out most girls had with their boyfriends, but it was special to her, it was where she could see Peter at his most vibrant, when he came to life with his witty comments and acrobatic flare. This was where she loved him the most.

During the day Peter was either in the studio taking photographs or out in the field, snapping various things for his boss, pretty much what he used to do at the Bugle, minus the expensive studio they had given him to work in. After he came back there was often no longer than 5 or 10 minutes before he was out the window he only really gave himself time off when he came to her apartment, and that was really only because she often took longer to prepare. Letting her hair fall loose around her face Felicia wiped her make up from her face and walked into her large shower, shutting the door behind her, shutting out the world. The couple of minutes under the scrutiny of the scorching water was when her normal life ended, the cold blast of air when she stepped out was when she emerged from the steam as The Black Cat.

* * *

Mary Jane seemingly had reached the peak of the night all of 20 minutes ago, now on the other side she was stuck wondering what exactly to do now? She had just received a text from John saying he was staying at his parents tonight, and so she was free to do whatever she wanted, only problem was that nothing could really top having coffee with her superhero stalker. With opening night in two days she knew the coming daylight hours would be packed with rehearsals, so maybe going to bed was a good idea? Wasn't quite sleepy yet, wait. The bulb in her head blinked to life as she saw one of her few possessions in the penthouse on the shelf across from the sofa she was sat on the arm of. Walking over she picked up the delicate silver frame, looking with a warm smile at a photograph of herself, Peter and Aunt May stood just outside Aunt Mays house in Queens. It was a warm summer day, before Peter's Uncle Ben had been killed; it was him behind the camera making them all laugh. This photo was one of the only things she actually owned that was in this penthouse, the rest of her possessions being in storage at her Aunt Anna's place. 

Despite her little superhero coffee break the next big event in MJ's life was the finishing with John, and that required some work to be done. The apartment was sorted, just needed to drop in the deposit tomorrow, then there was the obvious telling John he could go to hell, and then there was the moving out. The last and most crucial part involved moving all her stuff out, and in order to avoid coming back to rub his nose in it, the moving out would be done in one fatal move, at the climax of telling John it was over. So whilst he was out for the night Mary Jane decided to pack all of her things into her bags, ready for the eventual last walk out of the door.

Tomorrow would probably be the best time to do it, when John came back she would tell him it was over, stay at her Aunt Anna's for a few days until she could move into the apartment and then it would be opening week and she would be busy with the play and moving all stuff into her new home. Maybe she would actually get the guts up to call Peter too, she just needed to figure out what to say.

* * *

Stepping out from the burn of the water Felicia felt refreshed, cleansed. Drying herself roughly with a towel it was then wrapped around her as she ventured back into her main room. The TV was still humming its constant audio drawl, and as she sat to do her hair in front of the mirror it faded into coherent words, and then it gained her attention. 

"pretty sure it wasn't. Police say that the deaths of the men more popularly known as Rhino and Shocker was due to unknown circumstances. We have reports that no physical evidence of foul play was found on either corpse, as if they just died suddenly with no explanation. Police are still treating their deaths as suspicious"

Felicia frowned, that was no help at all, she still didn't feel right about the whole situation. The reporter started to talk again.

"Anyway back to you Diane." The studio anchors Diane Simmons and Tom Tucker appeared on screen, Tom opening his mouth just as Felicia's interest was beginning to wane. "Back to our main story tonight, Sergei Kravenoff the vicious Australian murderer escaped today after 10 months of his life sentence in a maximum security prison. His whereabouts are currently unknown but he is suspected to be at large in the Manhattan area, anybody who sees a man resembling this image are warned that Kravenoff is considered to be armed and vary dangerous."

Felicia looked on in astonishment, how the hell did people keep breaking out of the same prison? This Sergei Kravenoff guy sounded like a nutball, and although she didn't know who he was, she had a hunch that Peter would. After doing her hair and adding her now trademark blood lipstick, Felicia stood in front of her balcony, just adding he mask to complete the transformation. The Black Cat was now coming out to play, and as she launched out into the darkened sky of the city she was hoping to find Peter sooner rather than later, she had to warn him another psycho had managed to escape from that 'maximum security' prison, not only that buy she had a feeling that just like the last two escapees, that the Cat and the Spider would inevitably end up taking this guy on.

Shocker and Rhino were both pretty much retarded, but in a non-excusable way, but neither of them had really tried to kill anybody, except for when they had escaped the other night, when they seemingly had one thing in common, a blood lust for those who put them in prison. This new runner was already a famous murderer apparently, somebody like that was one person she didn't want to face alone, if at all.

Felicia had wanted to see Peter all day, and as soon as she found him she would let him in on the little reward she got for covering Mary Jane's play progress, two tickets for the opening night.

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_Hope you liked it, please let me know what you think! Anything you want to ask or burn my sorry English ass for?_


	14. Innocence of the Hunt

**Of The Twilight Hours**

_Sequel to 'Midnight is Meant to Be'_

Disclaimer: I own none of Marvel/Stan Lee's creations, only the scenario and original characters in this story.

_Other Plans: Slightly longer than usual to update, I've been planning and designing my own web comic, it won't happen for a while, and I've worked the obsession out of my system so now I can continue with this. I've found this a very hard chapter to write, part of it is me remembering things I've tried to forget, hope it pays off. _

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Stood on the edge of her apartment's balcony, Felicia breathed softly into the cold wind, he hair flicking in the translucent waves. It was getting late, Peter wouldn't be out much longer, unless something was happening, maybe that Kravenoff guy was at this very moment trying his best to murder her boyfriend, if he wasn't was he about to? Springing over the railing Felicia had to find him now, she had to warn Peter that somebody had escaped, or she had to save his life. 

As Black Cat's grappling hook found the rim of a building's roof, a towering shadow emerged in front of the moon, from the dark corner of the apartment block's unused penthouse, the experienced, analytical eyes of a hunter observed the direction and movements of the big city cat, and in silence and shadow, he gave chase.

* * *

Spiderman hopped down into an alleyway, quietly and quickly rolling his sleeves and pulling some worn jeans from his bag. Removing his mask and gloves, Peter Parker emerged from the dark alleyways pulling on the second of his old sneakers, the smell of coffee and fresh pastries already slapping him about the face. The night was quiet, yet his stomach was not, and so as he walked down the street to get something to eat before possibly retreating back to Felicia's flat or going home. Tonight had been hard on his head, all the stuff with Mary Jane was for better or worse not going away, but he could at least for now push it into the background. As the door bell chimed his entrance Peter got the same pang of self disgust that he was turning his back on the city for food, and that in the time it took to buy something to eat countless people could die without him. But he knew that even he couldn't stay out there 24 hours a day, he was, despite everything, still human. 

The cue was only three people long, himself included, and there was a small table just underneath the window which would allow him to see everything outside just in case anything happened which requires his attention. The girl behind the counter wore the name badge of Debra Whitman, she smiled at him as he arrived at the counter, either she was cheerful it was the last person she had to serve or, how improbable it might seem she thought he was cute. A Danish and exchange of coins later and Peter was sat next to the window, his face basking in the hot vapours heading skyward from his coffee mug.

It was days like this that made him wonder if a normal life was any less complex than his own dual between his two personas. Sue he had to don a suit and lie a bit, but if he had chance to be normal he would surely know more people and his social life would become complicated and structured, it would in turn replace his crime fighting with dates and a regular day job. The night air outside was beginning to chill, and the stars puncture the darkening blackness of the city's top, it was different to be observing it from inside for a change, it had almost become a custom of his to watch the dusk from the rooftops, like going home to your room mate at college, he felt like the deepening night was an old friend, it brought with it the cover of darkness, but that worked both ways. Old friends were never simple, were they MJ?

A warming sip of coffee ignited his throat, a slight pang of burning, until it was gone, after breathing the night air his insides were cold, and heating them back up wasn't usually a nice sensation with hot liquid. A low sigh was released from Peter's lips, its low breathy travel cut audibly short by the doorbell's gesture of custom. Peter's gaze was lingering amongst the glint of the stars, until a voice he couldn't quite put his finger on echoed in his ears, his brain coming up blank with an instant name, and so his eyes fell from heaven to find John Jameson coming through the door with his dark haired girlfriend.

At first he hadn't really clicked, he just took in what he could see. Both of them seemed very happy together, he wondered if this woman knew about MJ? As the walked past him to the counter he went undetected, or maybe John just didn't remember him. He had only met him in his apartment for a couple of seconds, surely John wouldn't remember him, Mary Jane hadn't told him the intricacies of their relationship, or lack of at that point in time, having said that being out with this woman, John was hardly going to be jealous, or even acknowledge him if he had seen Peter. When cheating on a woman, does that man still feel compelled to be possessive, or is that 'honour' passed like a torch of affection to his mistress? The more he watched them, the more he found them to look genuine, this wasn't a purely sexual relationship, John mirrored the loving smile of his company, it was that which stabbed Peter in the stomach, the searing uncertainty entering him violently.

He could cope with John being a sex crazy bastard, but this looked to him like he had found somebody he happier with than Mary Jane, but did that justify his actions? He should have told Mary Jane, he should have been honest and told her as soon as he and this woman became serious, he should have told her that there was somebody else on the scene… She should have told me.

All of this, this sharp pang of an unconfirmed feeling, it was due to the almost theatrical cast of characters and the playwrights sick sense of irony, here was Peter telling himself that John should have done exactly what Mary Jane didn't do when he arrived in her life, told the person whom it affects most, in this case Mary Jane, in her case it was Peter. How could he act as if she was innocent and undeserving when she had pulled the exact stunt on him? Was he to think of this as revenge, as what went around coming around? It would have been easy, to just ignore them, to let Mary Jane find out in the worst kind of way, but he couldn't, he would have to tell her.

But did she even care?

By the sound of their little conversation not long ago she wanted out of their relationship anyways, but did that make it okay for John to do this? And was that an excuse for what she had done to him, how she had done this to him, was she now excused because her fantasy relationship had turned out to be as fickle and breakable as any other? Should he not feel to glad that she wasn't as happy as he had at first thought? Those nightmares, the passions in his head which made him weep in the early hours, those would have been fitting for somebody who he had always known deserved the best, and yet he couldn't stand it when she found it. Was their lost friendship all down to his own petty weaknesses?

It was irrelevant, and as the two lovers sat in the corner, their hands joined over the table in an exchange of soft words, he looked back into the dwindling blackness of his own cup, it was under an inch of infinity, a mouthful of endless darkness. Within his hand he held something bottomless, all consuming, and yet it was just as easily consumed by taking it into himself, just as his endless fears could be conquered by taking a small journey to Mary Jane's home, whether it be the penthouse or her new abode. Just like staring into the black coffee, he couldn't see an end to this, but he could easily swallow the uncertainty and end this bitter stalemate between the two former best friends. He would have to call Mary Jane, somehow he had to thaw the ice, breaking it would probably cause confusion, gradual was the way forwards, hell he had just had coffee with her, he would just have to keep Spiderman away from her whilst Peter worked things out.

Didn't she just invite Spiderman round for dinner thought? Well if she kept out of trouble then she wouldn't see him to invite him, but Mary Jane attracted trouble like men, he would just have to hope she kept her head down until Peter had gotten the guts up to call her. However this played out maybe it wasn't his part to interfere in Mary Jane and John Jameson's affairs, after all she was leaving him anyway and so there was no urgent need to enlighten her to something she probably knew herself deep down, if there was one thing Mary Jane wasn't despite doing her best to act it was stupid. She would be moving out soon, so things would be easier for Peter, or would they? New guys on the scene, would she make assumptions concerning his sudden reappearance and her separation? This could be more trouble than he had counted on. He would have to tread carefully.

As the last thought in his head disappeared, ready to be replaced by a new worry his body became electrified, his eyes shot open and cast outwards towards the street, his spider sense had just given him a considerable jolt. As he looked out he saw Black Cat swing past on her grapple, no doubt looking for him. Why would Felicia set of my spider sense? It was upon following her with his eyes that he noticed a shadow of a man on the far rooftops running in her direction, making inhuman jumps between surfaces in his seeming pursuit of his girlfriend. Just as quick as the Cat had vanished from view in his current vantage point Peter was on the street, the jingle of the door accompanying the pounding of his feet, his heart was equally as loud. Felicia didn't have a sixth sense for danger like he did, she could be take unawares, and he feared for her safety.

The alleyway was quickly on his left, removing himself from sight in its deepest regions Peter remerged as Spiderman, webbing himself after the Black Cat as fast as he could he just hoped that it wasn't to late, whoever was stalking her was moving fast, too fast. Somebody that moved like that was no doubt going to be trouble.

He noticed that Cat was stood on an air vent up ahead; it looks as if she was going to try and use her mobile, maybe to phone and ask where he was. Webbing a deep swing from a streetlight just before the building she was on Peter flew down at the street, almost making contact before his line went taught and he was catapulted up towards her standing. Shooting a web line out it hit Felicia in the waist, and just as he pulled on her as hard as he could muster at his current velocity she screamed in pain, a blade had just cut across her calf. Landing with her in his arms after his speed wore out Peter panicked as he examined the wound, it was only a cut, but from the hunting knife embedded in the bricks of a wall in front of him it could have been a lot worse, it looked to have been thrown at her knee joint, to incapacitate.

Looking around he could see nothing, but heard a low deep laughter; mixing with Felicia's sounds of pain it was hard to place. Laying the wounded blonde down gently Peter crouched over her, whomever their assailant was they were damn good at keeping themselves hidden. Only one person he had ever known to use stealth and hunting knives was in prison, but considering that never seemed to stop people trying to kill him he was fully aware of who had just tried to make his lover invalid.

"KRAVEN!" Peter shouted, this man only understood challenges, violence, the honour of the dual; it was how he had to be dealt with. But he had never seen Kraven use bait before, that's what Felicia had to be to him, bait. This was a new approach, an unsettling one.

"Tonight you die arachnid!" His voice was a low growl, and just as his spider sense shattered the nervous blank of his mind Kraven appeared from behind a billboard, letting fly with a hail of arrows. In a split second Peter pushed Felicia behind the air vent she had been standing on, she was still in shock clutching her leg. Looking back up Peter flipped in mid air, twisting and bending as arrow shafts whistled past him, Peter's agile moves fell short when he failed to dodge one of Kraven's ballistics, and was caught in the shoulder by a hunting knife thrown when the hunter's arrows had been exhausted.

"No!" Felicia cried out when she saw Spiderman hit the floor, clawing at the protruding blade, blood flowing like wine, the attack had left him with an instant hangover. Getting his head back in the game Peter saw Kraven running towards him, he was upon him quicker than he could have anticipated, just like Shocker and Rhino this guy wasn't messing around, non of the usual villainous capers, straight to the kill. Diving at him Peter acted purely on instinct. Pulling the blade from himself he cast it into Kraven's thigh, the heavily built brute gritted his teeth and fell slightly off balance in his charge. Flicking to his feet, Peter lunge punched the lunatic Australian straight in the nose, breaking it in the most brutal of fashions. The recoil was evident, and Kraven with his leg wound ambled backwards from the force of the blow, and As Peter tried to suppress the bleeding of his shoulder he saw his enemy stumble and trip, rolling backwards over the edge of the 7 story building's roof.

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_Please let me know what you think, this time I really need some encouragement and feedback!_


	15. Awakenings

**Of The Twilight Hours**

_Sequel to 'Midnight is Meant to Be'_

Disclaimer: I own none of Marvel/Stan Lee's creations, only the scenario and original characters in this story.

_Giggety Giggety Goo: Sorry about the whole not updating for a good while, I've been busy moving and such, condensed chaos! I've been feeling a bit lonely recently, well I'm starting to think I've been single way too long, So I'm probably going to get cracking on this story again, it is my fluffy thought vehicle after all!_

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Peter slumped to the floor, feverishly clutching at the puncture in his body, the blade had cut deep, he could feel his eyelids becoming heavier as his suit spewed rouge. Felicia seemed shaken, she had never seen Peter take a hit before, and she wasn't coping with it well. Running over to her fading partner, she was beginning to panic at the trickling path of blood which with every second chipped at his consciousness. Peter wavered slightly before throwing his arm out towards the edge of the roof, he couldn't must a strict point but the general motion of his intention was evident.

"Make sure he's down" Peter said softly, knowing all to well that if Kraven was coming back for more he couldn't put up a semblance of a defence. Felicia started an argument, but knew that it was the right call, and as quickly as she had rushed to Peter's side she left it, hoping to god that the lunatic hadn't disappeared again, he seemed to have an unearthly ability to remain out of sight. Reaching the edge of the roof Felicia ignored the shattering pulse of her heart, echoing in her mind was the face of Kraven, his blade, the colour of Peter's wound, flowing, it was a dirty hypnosis, something so haunting it was hard to look away. As the distance to the street below peeled away as she looked further over the edge she came to find Kraven had hit the pavement with sickening force, he wasn't only dead, he was obliterated by the fire hydrant he had come into a lethal merging with. The sight was never to leave The Black Cat's nightmares.

"Oh god…" Felicia choked, turning away from the drop and resisting the violent desire to vomit. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Peter keel over onto his side with a thud, the dusty roof soaking his blood as it ran away from him in a lessening rate. Despite his enhanced healing kicking in Felicia knew she had to get him to a hospital, and she also had to get them both away from the scene unfolding below, Police radios and public screams were already starting to fill the air, a quick plan began to form in the haze of her deafening thoughts, it was her only choice, the one clarity in the insanity of this situation. Scooping Peter from the ground She ran across the rooftop, bounding over the short gap to the next and then down into an alleyway.

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Becoming aware he was waking up from some kind of blackness was what hit Peter first, his eyelids fluttering like a moth to the light that blinded him. As his eyes adjusted and his senses felt his surrounding he found himself in a bed, in a ward, in a hospital. As his grogginess cleared he quickly realised he was alone, which meant two things. Good news is that by the lack of press, security or federal agents nobody seemed to know he was Spiderman, but the bad news was Felicia was also absent. He couldn't have been out so long, his enhanced healing should have sorted himself out double time after they doctors had finished with him. Staring up at the ceiling Peter sighed, half relief, and half trepidation. Kraven had to have been incapacitated, or worse which meant that again the Police would be tearing their hair out about the death of someone at Spiderman's hands. He didn't blame them, just because he was attacked didn't give a him an instant licence to kill, the idea of a murdering masked vigilante roaming the city at night was enough to scare anybody working in law enforcement or otherwise.

Another unexpected problem was this habit villains seemed to be getting in for just simply trying to kill him, it didn't quite add up… or did it? Having just gotten out of prison the only thing standing in their way was Spiderman, so naturally if you kill him you then own the city, but most villains would at least try and rob a bank or something, Rhino, Shocker and now Kraven all seemed to have gone berserk with bloodlust. If this new trend continued he would seemingly be spending more time in this less than comfortable bed, either that or an early grave. Life seemed to be repetitively stamping on his groin recently, with his whole love life going haywire and now this epidemic of attempts to slaughter him.

Sitting up with ease Peter found himself to be in good condition, and he then found his old jeans and blue Tee, as well as what looked like pressed underwear? What the hell? It could only be Aunt May, which must have meant he had been out long enough for her to have come from Queens, she might still be around, it was unlikely she would leave Peter injured in hospital alone. Felicia was probably at work; she was the only one who knew his secret, the only one who could take comfort in the fact he heals at a crazy rate. Pulling the curtain around his bed Peter removed the surgical gown and pulled on his pre-prepared clothes from home, it suddenly made him feel a whole lot better, like he was more himself, and it was refreshing not to have his tight outfit underneath for a change. Stepping out from behind the withdrawn curtain Peter found an old man in a wheelchair looking at the Television in the corner, but it was on mute. Suddenly Peter saw the title "Spiderman: Out for blood?" appear behind the newscaster on the box.

Walking at speed towards the couch in front of the corner TV peter found the man in the wheel chair to be asleep, and so picking the remote control up from besides him he sat and increased the volume so he could hear the broadcast.

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**45 minutes earlier…**

Mary Jane pushed behind clamouring people, shouts and sirens creating the atmosphere of a riot, a rebellion, but it was far from such, it was morbid fascination which had brought these people to block her path, a dark human desire to see their own undoing. She had received a short phone call from John's mother, usually she was a total bitch, but her voice was choking in the company of tears, John had been stabbed whilst out in town with a friend. Mary Jane may not be his girlfriend anymore, but he was still a nice man, he friend, and after so long with him she had to be there for him. It was so sudden she had just dropped everything and ran, but apparently not quick enough to beat the crowds all wanting to see NASA's hero in a body bag. Pushing past men and women Mary Jane was not let through easily, but she managed to reach the bar on what appeared to be cleavage paralysis. Wearing only a tight white tank top and jeans most men seemingly just let her thought based on appearance, accidental as it was her inside 'lazy' clothes, but she hadn't bothered to change, just grab a jacket before running out.

Reaching the police line She beckoned an officer over to her, he was scowling for some reason.

"Hey you gotta let me through I'm Mary Jane Watson, John Jameson's girlfriend" She almost had to shout at him over the loud noise of the crowd and police.

"Nice try babe, Jameson's girlfriend is already in there with him, she was with him when it happened. Your like the sixth chic to pull that one tonight, so just go home okay?" Now she knew why the cop was scowling at her before he spoke, but that was irrelevant, what the hell did he mean John had his girlfriend in there with him? That could only mean one of two things, some girl had lied at the scene and got in the ambulance with him, or John Jameson's reputation as a nice guy was about to be as broken as his nose.

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"Police are thought to be issuing an arrest warrant for Spiderman tonight after the horrific scene just hours ago in which recently escaped murder Sergei Kravenoff was found dead, the images following are not suitable for children and may be too much for sensitive viewers."

What followed was in essence the CSI suits collecting a variety of pieces in bags, and one or two blurred shots of Kraven's impact with a fire hydrant. He was beyond dead, he was obliterated, Peter had killed him outright. Should he go and hand himself over to the police? It would mean effectively the end of his life, that Spiderman would be unmasked, arrested and probably under scrutiny from lab coats until his death of old age, and even then he would be opened up for research. The more he thought about it the less the justice system appealed to him, and even though he fully supported the law and knew it applied to him, he also knew that it would never end, he would have to be unmasked, his family and friends would suffer and he would probably be assassinated as Peter Parker. No he had to play this by ear, and he knew that Kraven's death was an accident, he had only meant to knock him out, not knock him off the edge.

"Also injured in the fight between Kraven and Spiderman was national hero and treasure John Jameson, who received a hunting knife injury from what we currently think was Kraven's last gasp effort to maim or kill Spiderman. Although we have been assured John Jameson's life is not in danger all of us here at the studio wish him a swift recovery and our hearts go out to his family and friends"

Jameson was injured? He must have been just walking down from where I saw him when Kraven fell. Why does everything always get so damned complicated, now I've not only murdered a criminal I wouldn't be surprised if they pinned John's injury on me too. J. Jonah Jameson is going to have a rage-gasm over this; his hated enemy injures his son, could things get any worse?

As he heard footsteps approach he was addressed by an ecstatic nurse, she looked like someone had just offered her a million in cash.

"Hey kid, you wanna see a real superhero? John Jameson is down stairs, I'm going to go ask him for his autograph, you should go too, not everyday you get the chance to meet someone famous" before he could even answer she let out a small giggle and speedily made her way out of his ward.

"Jameson is here, in this hospital?" Peter thought out loud, "Ah crap". Where there is smoke there is usually fiery red hair and smouldering good looks, a.k.a. Mary Jane Watson. Life's never simple, especially when you have two. But considering how Mary Jane had spoken of Jameson during their little coffee break she probably wouldn't show up. Returning the television to mute Peter ambled back over to his bed, more of a strategic retreat than hiding, plus he had to wait for Aunt May to return. Jumping sitting down on the side of his bed Peter Wondered why Felicia hadn't left a note or anything, she had seemingly just vanished after bringing him in, it wasn't exactly what he would have done but then again she was often more decisive and less courteous than him.

So much had unfolded in one night his mind was having a hard time keeping up with it all, he had only been out for about three or four hours but even so quite a lot had happened. Just as he was thinking about Felicia's own injury a strangely sudden desire for a cup of coffee came over him, which was when Aunt May popped her heard around the corner of his curtain.

"OH SWEETIE YOUR AWAKE!" she was quickly upon him squeezing him as hard as she could. "Oh I was so worried about you, when they called saying you were stabbed by one of that crazy man's knives I rushed right over! Are you okay sweetie?"

Peter smiled, "Yeah I'm fine thanks Aunt May, but I could really use something to drink, I think I'll go get some coffee or something" The smell he was picking up was getting stronger.

"Oh I thought you might, so I got us some while we wait for a doctor to check you over"

"Oh right, thanks Aunt May, but where ar…" Peter was about to ask where the coffee's his aunt spoke of resided, because she didn't have them, but when he spoke she cut him off.

"And you'll never guess who I found looking for you!" May smiled broadly, and Peter tried to look excited, when really he was just puzzled. Felicia must have made her way back from where ever she had gone after all. The smell of coffee took a back seat to a scent he dragged on like a cigarette, soaking his senses, making him drowsy, it wasn't new; it was something he had tasted before. Looking past Aunt May he saw her looking at him, she had managed to appear at the end of his bed without him noticing her behind his relative, she was holding two cups of coffee. She was dressed in simple clothes, breathtaking, her eyes sparkled nervously, and she blushed, Peter heard her speak.

"Hey Tiger"

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_I hope you enjoyed it! lease let me know what you think, good or bad! Also go and see Land of the Dead, its brilliant!_


	16. Remembering The Forgotten

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Of The Twilight Hours

_Sequel to 'Midnight is Meant to Be'_

Disclaimer: I own none of Marvel/Stan Lee's creations, only the scenario and original characters in this story.

_Goin' Taxi Driver: Hey Guys, only 2 reviews! Go you two, the rest have deserted me, just when I was going to start some interesting stuff too! I finally got my computer on the go with internet, so with any luck I'll be able to post more often now, Hazar!_

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"Mary Jane!" Peter exclaimed, shocked by not only her sudden appearance but her stunning appearance, beauty fell short of what his eyes feasted upon.

Aunt May looked between the two, Peter looked suitable surprised, and was unabashedly staring at her, reciprocated with a blush by Mary Jane. She knew that this talk was long over due, and was glad that Peter's other girl wasn't here, she had never met this Felicia, but it didn't matter, to May Peter only had one destiny, and she was stood at the foot of his bed with cheeks as red as her vibrant hair. She would have to depart because she knew they had things that they had to say which couldn't be said with her here.

"I'll go and find some cream for those coffees" Aunt May trailed off as she left the bedside, Peter hardly noticed her speak until she physically moved away from him, but even then he was lost for words. As Peter's aunt disappeared through the ward door Peter tried to think of something to say. The last time he had seen MJ properly was that night he found out about John, going on 9 months ago, and they had left on very bad terms. He had missed her, more than he should have for someone who was already taken, but it was true. Seeing her again without being prepared wasn't how he had intended to try and patch their friendship up, if he ever really intended on doing it at all. Despite the fact he was still bitter, he knew that he was smirking a little, it felt weird, as if he should still be angry, as if her blushing wasn't meant to make his heart race like it was. Nothing ever happened like it was supposed to though.

Stood before him she was adorned in a tight white tank top and jeans, her stomach toned, bust as amble as ever, those jeans sure were tight… damn it, stop thinking like that, no wonder she's blushing. Peter was more than aware that she could still steal his breath, as well as other things with only a look, and considering he was meant to hate this girl, it was slightly disconcerting to know he was still as crazy about her as he was when he first saw her.

"How are you doing Pete?" She broke the silence between them with a weak smile, it was all she could muster.

Peter was stood in front of her, Aunt May had taken a polite exit and now that he was in front of her Mary Jane's 'get what you want' self-revolution had suddenly become a lot more real, and a lot scarier. What if he was still mad? He might tell me to get out before I get chance to talk to him, please god let him listen, I couldn't stand him throwing me out right now, he's the only ideal I have left. The agonising hours were in reality seconds waiting for him to say something, to move, anything except this painful silence.

"I'll live" He said, she noted, in a very neutral tone. Mary Jane was having a hard time reading him, but at least neutral wasn't telling her to leave, it was a starting point. Peter patted on the bed next to where he was sat, and Mary Jane looked at him slowly, trying to factor in every possibility.

"Those coffees aren't going to drink themselves, take a seat" He looked up at her, and her eyes sparkled, she hadn't seen that smile in so long it made her heart race. Walking around to him she slide onto the bed next to him, only a dozen inches away, and passed him the coffee with her right hand. He managed to take it without any contact between the two, and then cradled it in his hands, absorbing the heat. Mary Jane sat looking at the wall only a few feet in front of them, almost too nervous to move. She had gone from wishing to see him to being sat at arms length, close enough to smell him, to hear his breathing, and rather unfortunately to be able to sense his indecision.

"So, long time no see" Peter said, she could have easily mistaken Peter as talking to himself, but it was a deliberate ploy, like asking for a reason why, an excuse for what she had done to him to cause this rift.

"Yea… I'm sorry Peter, I really am, you didn't give me chance to explain" Mary Jane had been over the explanation to give him millions of times, every detail gone over, every finite angle explored so that he could see why he was the only man for her, how all these months had been torturous. It was now time to give him the information he hadn't had when he decided to disappear that night outside the café.

"I don't want you to explain" Peter said firmly, sipping his drink, "You had your reasons, but why didn't you tell Aunt May why you're really here?"

"What?" Mary Jane was taken aback by his sudden very monotone offensive, there was no hint of anger in his voice; it felt like she was being interrogated.

"I know John is downstairs somewhere, and there was no way you could know I was in here, so why didn't you tell Aunt May you were looking for him, not me" Peter was trying his best not to show any emotion, staring coldly into his coffee, sipping it to calm his burning stomach.

"I wasn't looking for John, I had just come from him when I met Aunt May, I was leaving until she told me you were here" Mary Jane's voice was quickly becoming shaky, she could tell he was dying to just let go, but he wouldn't, Peter had never been like that, no matter how much she almost wished he would go berserk for a change.

"Why aren't you staying with him?" Peter couldn't control the jealousy that laced this question.

"I felt awkward with his girlfriend already there" Mary Jane's hand tightened around her cup, and Peter for the first time since she had sat down actually turned to look at her"

"We're over Peter, we have been for a long time, I just didn't have the guts to tell him until I just found out that he has been cheating on me" The words 'cheating on me' somehow didn't fit right, they usually had connotations of hurt, but it was almost a relief to find John with another woman, as if the burden had been taken from her and passed on to another.

"I'm sorry MJ, I don't mean to be bitter" Hearing this Peter suddenly felt compassion replace his previous uncertainty towards the girl next to him. "Are you okay?" he asked putting his hand on her shoulder. Mary Jane felt the warmth of his hand on her, a touch she had only been able to dream of whilst lying next to John, she met his worried eyes with her own, hoping to god that he would never desert her again.

**

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**15 Minutes earlier…**

Mary Jane had finally found a way into the hospital, through a back door which she assumed was a fire exit, only to find that she had no Idea where John was, at least not until she heard everybody talking about him as soon as she entered a busy corridor in the east wing. It was almost impossible to be able to walk past a doorway without hearing about how John is a hero, or how it's so awful he's been injured, which obviously it was but not one person seemed to know where he was. Turning a corner at the end of the 3rd corridor she had been down, MJ found a small group of people all around one doorway, two security guards keeping them from entering. This had to be John's room.

Finding her way through the nurses and randomly assorted on lookers and autograph hunters Mary Jane found herself at the front of the assortment, she could see John in a bed with his family around him, and was noticed by John's father, his face was a mix of shock and concern, and his looking at Mary Jane was quickly noticed by his wife, whom turned to see her son's girlfriend. She beckoned her in, and in the guards let her into john's room, the envy of the countless onlookers.

"Mary Jane, I'm glad you could make it here eventually" scoffed John's mother, before Mary Jane noticed that dark haired girl opposite her clutching to John's hand, her first thought was sister, but then realised John was not eastern in any way like this girl, and that John didn't have any siblings. His mother was relishing in Mary Jane's dumbfounded stare.

"Mary Jane, I would like you to meet Alexandra, John's fiancée" The words dripped with venom, but the girls whom were being introduced never met eyes, as Mary Jane was walking back out of the door after seeing the look on John's face, admittance, but without a hint of regret. This wasn't painful because she had lost him, more so because John's bitch of a mother had beaten Mary Jane to the punch in finally cutting off their relationship.

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Peters hand lingered on Mary Jane's shoulder, she still hadn't replied to his asking of her condition.

"I'm fine Pete, honest. I, I just don't want it to happen again" she sighed slightly, nervously after she had realised she had though out loud the last part of her late reply.

"You don't want what to happen again?" Peter asked softly, she must mean a guy cheating on her, john the scumbag.

"I don't want you to leave me again; I don't want you to forget me"

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_I know it's a late posting, I just hope you guys will review and let me know what you think, good or bad. Thank you for reading, I'll try and update a bit quick if you would like? ;) _


	17. A Piece Of My Hope

**Of The Twilight Hours**

_Sequel to 'Midnight is Meant to Be'_

Disclaimer: I own none of Marvel/Stan Lee's creations, only the scenario and original characters in this story.

_Awesome Response: Good Job you guy, I thought you had abandoned me! Due to your encouragingly quick and plentiful reviews I have written this chapter quicker than I would have by about three months :D_

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"How could I ever forget anything about you?" Peter said softly, the bare honesty of his words shocked even him, but honest they were. Ever since he had first laid eyes upon Mary Jane Peter had never found anybody as intriguing, and Peter rarely forgot anything about something that intrigued him, even when he tried to. Mary Jane turned to look at him, she looked naked, her eyes clear and her face light with hope, she was throwing herself at him, trusting him with the heart she had just put on her sleeve.

"Peter, I never meant to hurt you, you know I would never do that to you" Peter could see that she had tears in the wings of her emotions, so fragile, beautiful.

"I thought I knew a lot about you, I liked to think I knew everything, I liked to think I knew you better than anybody" Peter's hand slipped from her shoulder, "Why didn't you tell me about him?" Peter had to ask her, she was forgiven, but he had to hear her say it. Ever since that fateful night Peter's fears had spoken to him in her tongue, set his heart alight with pain, it would banish so many demons just to hear the truth.

"I hadn't know him for long, he certainly wasn't my boyfriend at the time he thought I was, that only happened after…" Mary Jane swallowed, downed her fear, her memories, "after I lost you"

Peter wasn't sure what to say, but the words came automatically. Having spent most of his waking hours with that night on his mind for most of the year Peter instinctively knew the questions he needed to hear answered, and the answers that weren't enough. "So you did love him?"

"NO!" Mary Jane was disgusted by the idea of Peter asking her that, "I never loved him, I barely even liked him. After you left I went to pieces. I was broken, it just happened. Falling into his life was just too easy, I didn't know what to do" Mary Jane didn't like to relive the first few weeks she knew John, things moved so quickly, she was stuck in time, in the moment when she knew Peter was gone, he was out of reach.

"I, I couldn't have stayed. You, I…" Peter stumbled, he knew deep down the reason he couldn't have stayed, the barriers he had put up between them had been broken, that night was the first time in so long he had been honest with his feelings, only to get burnt. He knew how he felt, that was why he couldn't stay, but like they say, once burnt, twice shy, the moral of Peter and Mary Jane's dance. Now was not the time to tell her how he had felt about her then, using the past tense was bold, the current was not something he was happy thinking about at this very moment.

"It's alright Peter, I know" Mary Jane had finally told him, he knew at last that she had died inside when he left her, now she had to convince him not to do it again in five minutes. This time John wasn't going to conveniently save her from herself, she needed Peter, he surely had to see that now.

"Peter, I want to be your friend again" Not so often said, this statement was blatant, simple, but not so simple to answer. Peter hadn't said anything since he had stumbled, confronted with feelings he had tried to bury, a fire he had tried to extinguish with little avail. The wait for him to say something was agonising, the silence a rejection in itself.

"On one condition" Peter finally broke the cage of stillness in the room, "you don't get me socks for Christmas" His voice was dead pan, and Mary Jane started to smile, he never changed. Overjoyed, MJ turned to him and wrapped her arms around him, a single tear fell like a star to his shoulder, drawn to the ground by a force of god, just like she was to him, a non-corporeal magnetism she had been tormented by up until now, when he squeezed her back.

"I missed you" she whispered. To Peter this was the understatement of his life.

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Peter hadn't smiled like this for a long time, guilt free, and without anything in the back of his mind. It was innocent happiness, and as care free as it was, he was going to have to cut it short. Aunt May had arrived back fifteen minutes after MJ and he had 'made up', their coffees long gone, and she returned lacking cream. Peter knew how sly she could be, and he appreciated it. It was now an hour since Ms. Watson had sat on his bed beside him, and he had been discharged. Aunt May was going to give Mary Jane a lift back to John's apartment and help her pack her belongings into May's small car before taking her to her Aunt Anna's in Queens, since it was on the way home anyway. Peter would have to say his goodbyes, he was going to have to rest up after such an eventful day.

"Here's where I get off I'm afraid" Peter said as they exited the hospital's back entrance, which opened out into a car park. It was calm now, most of John's fans had either retired or actually gotten in, so their was no trouble in bypassing the remaining groups pf people.

"Don't be a stranger Pete" Mary Jane smiled, she was back to normal now, and was walking with the same vibrant confidence which had taken his breath away in high school.

"Don't worry, I have your number" Peter smiled; the piece of paper in his hand was embellished with the same girl heart at the end of Mary Jane's number as she always used. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Peter looked at the smirk on Aunt May's face, and was taken off guard by another tight hug from Mary Jane when they all stopped near the car.

"See you soon yeah?" MJ asked, it wasn't the rhetorical question it usually was.

"You can count on it" Peter smiled as he started to walk away. A hug of his Aunt later and he was away, waving to them as they opened the car doors. He couldn't face Ditkovich's shit right now, best to just steer clear and check on Felicia too, see if he could stay there for the night. As he walked the more easily web slung route to Felicia's flat, Peter found the posters of Mary Jane less torturous, she was awe inspiringly beautiful, she would no doubt have every guy in NYC calling her now, seeing if they can help 'pick up the pieces' of her break up with John. At least they were friends again, that was a good feeling. He could walk down the street again without fearing her in his path, which was why he chose to walk to his destination for the first time since he had met Felicia.

Peter stepped out of the elevator and walked the dozen or so steps to Felicia's door. He could hear muffled sounds on the other side, and using his key quickly pounced into the room, not knowing what to expect. What he found though was even more surprising than what he could have imagined. Curled up where her bed met the corner of the walls Felicia wept her eyes dark and sore, seemingly unaware of Peter's silent but quick entrance, she choked on her breathing, short gasps in her crying.

"Felicia, hey, what's wrong?" Peter was instantly on the bed, kicking the door shut behind him, and folded her into his arms. "Hey, its okay, I'm here, everything's going to be fine" Peter tried his best to sooth her, and it seemed to work, if only a little. "Tell me what's wrong?" He asked again, softly, stroking her hair as her head cradled against his chest.

"I thought you were going to die"

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_I hope you guys like it, please tell me what you think! All your reviews keep me going, and this is now the longest fic I have done under this name, my other account was deleted about 3 years ago ;)_


	18. Scarlet Dreams

**Of The Twilight Hours**

_Sequel to 'Midnight is Meant to Be'_

Disclaimer: I own none of Marvel/Stan Lee's creations, only the scenario and original characters in this story.

Author's Warblings: Sorry for the wait, I kind of left it on a note I had so many ideas to follow it with, but wasn't sure which to take. Anyways this is dedicated to life's little eventualities, most of them soul destroying, and being fool enough to think you'll live to see days when the world doesn't demand you kiss its arse. Oh that and cherry coke…mmmm

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Peter had consoled Felicia for a full half hour before she fell asleep on his chest. She seemed genuinely convinced that he was effectively already dead when he came into her apartment. Maybe the shock of seeing him walking in the same day without even a limp or something might not have helped matters, after all most people wouldn't even be out of the hospital now, let alone in such good condition.

She hadn't handled the whole episode with Kraven too well, it had been a major shock to the system to see her boyfriend actually hurt, never mind hospitalised. Peter had seen this before in people, the trait of trying to hide from something by just being as far away from it as physically possible, but preferably somewhere you recognise, somewhere you feel normal. It dulls the blow, even if not much. Anyway it was over now, he was still quite alive and after some sleep Felicia would probably have calmed down and be okay again. She was strong like that, it didn't take long before she was back on her feet, quite unusual that she hadn't landed on her feet like she usually did, I guess even cat's can be taken off balance. 'She must really care about me' Peter thought, he smirked softly, he didn't deserve her affection just as much as he did Mary Jane's, he was forever the geek, no matter whether his pants were baggy or skin tight. Some things never change, but as the Blonde began to almost purr as she shifted in her sleep, Peter knew he was happy that some things did change.

The warm body wrapped around him was starting to make him tired, and it wasn't long before he was slipping down into a horizontal position and fading into sleep. The blackness enveloped him, and he was gone. Falling through his consciousness, a bottomless pit, until he found himself in a waking dream, his eyes opened and he was sat in a theatre. Middle row, central seat, slap bang in the middle of somewhere he had never seen before in his life. It was very traditional, warmly lit, and also desolate. He was the only person in the grand double tier hall. Looking around he faintly head footsteps from the side of the stage, the burgundy curtains were already drawn, and the hardwood floor bare of props or a set. The steps grew louder, and became distinct. It was the sound of heels, a woman probably, at least he hoped so or this was going to be one weird experience. Peter looked down and suddenly he was aware he was now in the far left chair of the second row, the footsteps almost upon him.

Watching the mystery unfold he saw an awe inspiring figure emerge from behind the curtains, tightly dressed, his eyes followed the curves of the elegant black dress up from the heels he had heard right up until the start of the softly curled fiery hair.

"MJ?" Peter asked almost silently

"Peter? Is that you Peter?" Mary Jane stopped about 7 feet away from him, high on the stage, looking across the wooden expanse in confusion.

"Its me, I'm here" Peter said standing up, she didn't look in his direction though, and as he crossed the distance between them Peter began to get worried. Jumping up onto the stage he put his hand on her shoulder from behind and she gasped lightly.

"I'd forgotten what your touch felt like" she said slowly, and as Peter circled around to the front of the girl in the black dress he saw into her eyes, and saw nothing but white. His own eyes opened in shock, she was blind. Peter grabbed Mary Jane by both arms firmly, pulling her closer to him.

"How did this happen? Who did this too you?" He exclaimed, he would kill whoever did this to her.

"It doesn't matter anymore" She smiled, and as he looked into her eyes it was like watching clouds roll past the sun and the white faded into heart stopping rings of deep jade. "Nothing matters anymore now your back"

"I, I never meant to leave you alone MJ, you know I couldn't cope with it all" Peter stammered, his grip was wavering, her eyes as piercing as the heavenly scent fogging his mind.

"You never told me about it all, I didn't know about Spiderman, I just thought you didn't want me" She sounded sad, put as his hands faltered, hers now found his chest, placed over his rapidly beating heart.

"You know I've always wanted you, I've never wanted anything else" Peter blushed at his admission, but as he expected, the tell tale twinkle appeared in her gorgeous eyes.

"You think I didn't know how badly you want me, how long you've been waiting for me to be yours" Mary Jane's hands started to drift achingly down his chest, slipping inch by agonising inch as her words disarmed him without effort "You think I haven't fantasised about you every night for the past few years?

Peters heart was pounding in his chest like a shell exploding perpetually between his ribs, his eyes couldn't stop searching hers, for something that would betray the clarity of her verbal caress, but as her hands reached his waist his breathing became ragged, and his eyelids fluttered as the scarlet seductress grasped his shirt and pulled it up, exposing just enough skin for both of her hands to slip onto, absorbing his skin, the heat from his taut stomach. The slight chill on her hands caused the immediate result of his muscles contracting, and he managed to see a sly smile forming on her face, and as her hands finally began to roam ever so lazily outwards from his waist, words began to follow.

"I had so many plans for us Peter, I was going to finally get my teeth into you but you ran away" As her hands reached the middle of his torso Peter was finding it hard to breath, and as she stepped in closer the full effect on him began to take hold, her scent, her touch and presence, and as his eyes began to roam her body it even more so than usual began to melt his brain. "You left me just when I thought you had stopped running away, just when I thought I could finally take you home" Peter's hands instinctively began to reach for her, but just as they began to move Mary Jane almost deliberately dragged his shirt up, and without question his hands retracted and went skywards. Just as Peter realised he was now topless MJ torturously stepped into him, allowing the smooth silk covering her large cleavage to brush up against him.

"Will you stop running away from me?"

A stage light clicked on all of a sudden and Peter was blinded, bringing his arm up to cover his eyes he felt her moving on him again, and as the light dimmed he moved his arm to see Felicia looking up at him from his bare chest.

"Good dreams eh? You don't even have to be awake for me to turn you on!" Peter knew exactly what she meant, but he was surprised it was morning, and that Felicia had managed to pull of his clothes without waking him, he was usually a notorious light sleeper.

"Are you okay?" He mustered rough sounding words, as his mind cleared the fog and red hair from before his eyes.

"I'm fine now I see your, well, all in fine working order" Peter suddenly realised what he had been doing, dreaming rather erotically about MJ, whilst Felicia was lying right next to him. His head flopped back into the pillow, he was going to try not to think about it, not yet anyway.

"So what are you doing today then?" Felicia asked playfully, her finger dancing a delicate circle around his navel, "I have a surprise for you tonight"

"A surprise? A good one I trust?" Peter managed to say, his mind was else where, trying to get back.

"Well lets just say you'll need a suit for this" The blonde smiled broadly, "although not your birthday suit like my usual surprises"

"Oh, that really is a surprise" Peter smirked, he sat up and propped himself on his elbows as he watched his girlfriend amusing herself with his chest, almost like cat nip he thought. He watched her finger, and felt the contrast between her sharp nail and the soft skin of her finger on his; it was almost like she was convincing herself he was alive.

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**The previous night…**

Mary Jane always had admired the view from her aunt's back door, and as she leaned on the wooden frame just as she had done since she was 5, the same awe filled her as the clouds rolled past the city and trees. Yesterday had been a long day, so long in fact she had forgotten to give in the deposit on her new apartment, even though she had now packed and moved out. John had been stabbed and in the cycle of a few hours Mary Jane had gone from a minor dislike of the guy to severe worry to contempt, and from taken to single, and not to mention Peter. Peter Peter Peter… he was somewhat of an enigma now, she hadn't seen him in so long it was like meting a new person, she had loved him so much that an hour apart felt like a day, and so after she lost him, the weeks turned to months and they felt like lifetimes, so long she had almost forgotten that he existed outside of her dreams and desires, as if she had somehow absorbed him and Peter Parker was now nothing more than a part of her psyche.

It would be tomorrow now when she finally moved into her new apartment; it was also the opening night of her play, so it would be a very very busy day. Now that Peter was her friend again she would have to start getting to know him again, it had only been three quarters of a year but people could change a lot in that time, and as the day began to wane her mind passed over thoughts of what Peter might be like nowadays, if anything she remembered about him had changed, did he still get his hair cut at the same place, did he still blush when a girl smiled at him in the street, where did he work now? So many questions and she was impatient to get answers for them. Maybe if she could contact him she could get him a ticket to come and see her new production on the second night. After all she could only get a few free tickets a night and Felicia had gotten the opening night ones from her, pity she hadn't made up with Peter earlier. Having said that despite the sudden urgency of trying to rediscover Peter Parker it would be fun to see Felicia and this now legendary man who had seemingly tamed her…

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I'm not depressed really! Anyways hope you enjoyed it, I'm gonna try and get into the habit of posting regularly again now I have some inspiration back in my life, so lemme know what you think, you too Holly!


	19. Just A Boy

**Of The Twilight Hours**

_Sequel to 'Midnight is Meant to Be'_

Disclaimer: I own none of Marvel/Stan Lee's creations, only the scenario and original characters in this story.

Apologies: I've been absent quite a while haven't I? I'm not sure if I'll continue or not, I suppose I'm just testing the water here, I'm kinda busy and I don't even feel like the same person I was this time last year, I want to know if I can still write as well when I'm not thinking the same way. Thank you for prompting for me sma, your last review prompted me to at least try to continue.

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Mary Jane sat in her dressing room, her freshly painted nail scratching over the crack in the bottom corner of her bulb stricken mirror. Clichéd, and aged with it, the entire theatre had an air of abandoned grace, something MJ was beginning to find nostalgic. It reminded her of when she first started acting, her first plays, her first words on stage, the shake in the back of her throat that hadn't been vanquished yet. This theatre seemed to echo her memories of a past forgotten, for the theatre it was a mixed blessing, people loved things that bring back memories. Mary Jane however was not so keen, all it managed to evoke was a childhood best left out of mind, a mistakes best left unsaid. Of all her prior gains and loses, she had found herself, but lost him. She didn't rely on him, she was independent and far from the pity of others, but that simple pro-single attitude speech had been used on her and fallen straight through her, the words so light and meaningless they had no impact, fading away with the breathes between their utterance.

She wasn't naïve enough to think she was the only woman to her fall for someone so deeply she hadn't hit the bottom, even after so many years. Why then, do so many just lash out then? If women don't need a man in their lives are they blessed, or merely trying to convince themselves that the 'him' in their past wasn't the world, or maybe they really weren't. It would be shallow to think that every guy was like Peter, she knew that from experience, maybe because she had met him, she couldn't fathom the entirety of the prior argument, one man in her mind had already negated her acceptance of being alone.

It would never be as good as being with him.

This was why she didn't want to give up on him, she had made mistakes, she had been weak and forgotten how to stand tall, and she knew it was this that had hindered her during her chase of his heart. Complacency. Simply put it forced her eyes to glaze over, she couldn't believe what she had done. Mary Jane, the girl who prided herself upon being a fighter, had battled relentlessly out of her home, through school and college and into fame, but then she stopped. She thought she had fought enough, be it subconsciously or otherwise, she had stopped to admire her success and fallen prey to its fleeting embrace. Peter had always been one step ahead, she wanted to go back in time and kick herself for ever stopping, allowing him to increase the distance between them. She had fallen behind, and it came just as she had finally caught up with him.

Another actress brushed past Mary Jane, her warn costume dancing across the back of her neck and breaking the thoughtful woman's meanderings. Remembering where she was Mary Jane had to concentrate on the performance, it was opening night and she couldn't afford to mess up after so long in rehearsals. Felicia was out there with her mystery man too, and MJ was intrigued, the picture she had in her mind was of a 6'3 brick-jawed guy with short hair, built like a tank but with a nice attitude and not too much of an ego, after all Felicia loved a looker, but couldn't stand a guy who knew it. All would be revealed soon enough, it was only 10 minutes until the show started, and then another 5 before her grand entrance into the opening scene of 'Love Will Tear Us Apart'.

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Peter's tie did not seem to want to go on, in fact he was beginning to see it almost blatantly refusing to encompass his neck, this however was because he couldn't concentrate. Stood pressed against his back was Felicia, adorned in a long elegant black dress, her hands ever so slowly slipping his belt into place.

"What's up Pete? Having a hard time?" She whispered over his shoulder, her breath faintly lingering on the back of his ear. She was wondering if she should just tell MJ she was ill and skip her opening night, but at the same time she wanted to show Peter off to her friend, keeping him tied down… maybe literally, was made even more fun if people knew just how amazing this guy was. Its like having a flashy car, you buy it for yourself because you love it, but you can't wait to see people looking at you driving it.

"There we go, I did it, aren't you proud?" Peter smirked, straightening it in the mirror he was stood in front of.

"My big boy did his own tie, they grow up so fast" She faked a wistful thought filled face and tone, feeling Peter's hand run down her hip her smile darkened a fraction.

"Ready to go?" He asked turning around tightly so they were mere inches from each other's face, her eyes sparkled around the soft caress of placed blonde waves.

"I thought you'd never ask" She smiled, her arm out, he took it with his own, and off they went to the theatre, to a play which Peter had never heard of, but it sounded ever so vaguly familiar.

"You know we're late already don't you?" Peter asked as he shut the door of Felicia's flat behind them, "I don't have much luck getting into late performances"

"Oh it's okay, I know the lead, and we're VIP's for the night Pete! I'll see you right" She smiled broadly, like she had an evil scheme she had not yet unleashed upon the unsuspecting world, unsuspecting all except Peter Parker anyway.

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"This isn't how things were meant to happen!" bellowed a tall thin man from the stage, his character's plot had been foiled within the first 30 minutes of the play, by MJ's character, also his ex-lover. The plot revolved around their fragile relationship being on other sides of a morality line, and his eventual suicide. Not exactly uplifting stuff but it was gritty with excellent character definition, or at least that's what the producer had called it.

Mary Jane was stood in wing waiting on her next entrance, her glass of water empty. The two front left seats that Felicia had gotten the tickets for were empty. Maybe she wasn't coming? That would be a massive disappointment, especially as the reception the play was getting already was amazing. She heard her cue to start towards the stage, and as she was going she heard a radio next to her crackle, she paused and listened in for a second. Placing her glass down on a table next to the stage director she overheard that the two late front row seats had been admitted via the side entrance to reduce interruption. It must be Felicia and her partner in crime; MJ smiled, at last she would get to see why the blonde was always so happy. If this was going so well tonight there was no reason not to invite Peter to a show, this wasn't another advert or anything she though wouldn't showcase her talent in a good light for him.

Setting off again Mary Jane neared the stage and stopped 2 steps back from the left side, waiting for the line she was replying to upon entry into the narrative again. She could hear the door just on the other side of the curtain open, good, Felicia was just coming in as Mary Jane was storming in to the scene.

"That bitch thinks she can get away with this" the tall thespian growled loudly, that was Mary Jane's beckoning.

"That bitch knows she will!" she strode out confidently, and her sharp suit seemed a hit with the guys to the right side of the audience she could see, pin stripe, tailored to her thin waist and considerable curves. The man stormed off stage and was replaced by a choir of women in underwear, in the narrative his past conquests, they started their montage and Mary Jane fell to the right side to appear to be thinking of them in real time. When she did she looked over and saw some cleavage with a woman attached, Felicia waved with a high beam of a smile, a little girlish wave setting off her mood.

"Right, where is he then?" Mary Jane nodded at Felicia, smiling back. She saw a suit, and she saw him uoto his neck, which was hidden as he seemed to whisper in the glorious blonde's ear. She smiled and pointed at Mary Jane, and then he sat forwards.

Eyes met, and opened wide in shock, mutually mute.

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A bit short I know, but like I said I'm seeing if anyone still cares, including myself lol Lemme know if your still reading or have just found this and want it to continue. 


	20. To Crack, To Fracture

**Of The Twilight Hours**

_Sequel to 'Midnight is Meant to Be'_

Disclaimer: I own none of Marvel/Stan Lee's creations, only the scenario and original characters in this story.

Persistence: I'm going to try and finish this, because you guys n gals out there are still reading, even a few new faces, that makes me happy to continue, although no promises on the pace of the chapter succession still.

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The theatre was in awe of the show, the stage a million dazzling jewels, sequins and lights, a mirage of characters and time. Hundreds watched closely the drama unfolding before them, scripted and rehearsed, but only three people could see the deeper story unfolding, the truth of love amongst morals, blood and tears. What was taking place would shape New York' future, its dawn ever beautiful, its shadows ever as dark. War was coming, and the numbers on each side were but few, but the ramifications of this fight would echo beyond their recognition.

But the triptych of white, red and brown at the front of the theatre didn't know of the future, only of the present and its seemingly fated placing of each other.

"Oh my god… Peter?" Mary Jane whispered on her breath, she had to hear it, no matter how quietly to check her eyes were relaying the right intimations to her brain.

"No way" Peter said out loud, Felicia smiling at him thinking he was just surprised that she knew the lead of the production.

They looked at each other not in the shock of seeing each other after so many years, they barely escaped that by their meeting at the hospital, but more shock of recognising their mutual link that neither knew existed. Felicia.

Mary Jane's mind was re-analysing everything Felicia had told her about her former mystery boyfriend, such as what he's like in bed, quirky habits she loved, romantic things he had said to her, everything MJ had wished she knew about Peter and had hoped to find out first-hand, but now her dreams seemed sullied, stolen.

Peter's thoughts headed in the opposite direction, MJ's scattered into the past, Peter's leaked into the future. Not only had he dreamt of MJ, he had also had a hard time getting her off his mind since he found her at the foot of his hospital bed. Now it turns out she was his girlfriend's best friend? This was not good, he had deliberately never told Felicia about his history with the redhead, now it would be hard to avoid if he didn't want there to seem like there was something to hide. But was there? Maybe the dream was just random, surely it wasn't the re-emergence of his younger every night dreaming about the girl next door. Oh crap.

Felicia's smile started to fade a bit when she noticed Mary Jane's reaction was less than ecstatic, and how the line which was her cue to rejoin the act had to be repeated for her to realise she was still on stage. Mary Jane wasn't jealous, it was more like horror which had wracked her eyes until she was taken in her character again. The blonde didn't like this, something was going on she wasn't included in, especially considering it was her best friend and her boyfriend. She looked next to her at Peter, she saw how his eyes didn't seem to be focusing on the play or anything for more than 10 seconds, he didn't know where to look, he was nervous! What did he have to be nervous about? Did Peter know Mary Jane or something? Felicia bit her bottom lip, she didn't like the feeling she was getting being between the two closest people to her in the world, she felt like she was bang in the middle of something, she only hoped that this ominous feeling that was creeping up her spine was just her being paranoid.

Mary Jane's eyes fell into shadows whenever they met Peter's scattering gaze. He was the man that had tamed Felicia, her Peter Parker was the legendary stud that had slowed down the blonde bombshell. Felicia loved him, she really loved him a lot, and that no matter how much she hated herself for it, made Mary Jane jealous. Felicia had the one man in Manhattan that Mary Jane Watson had loved since she was a small girl. It hadn't always been romantic love but she had always felt he was there if she needed him, and that he was dependable, quite the ironic thought considering how he would be when he grew up. But still, this was insanity, Peter was not only Dating Felicia, he was nigh on living with her, Mary Jane's stomach started to turn at all the sex scenes Felicia had described in vivid detail, she was jealous in a fun way when she heard them, but now instead of laughing she felt like throwing up. She had feared that Peter would be in a relationship if she finally managed to patch things up between them, after all She had been with John for a good while and it was only fair in a way, but a girl she didn't know, a nameless entity was easier to hate, to want to steal from, than her best friend in the flesh.

Peter was in love with Felicia. Those simple few words cut MJ deep as she smiled and ran lines with her fellow actors, hundreds of people watching the shell, while she rotted inside, screaming behind the smile. What wasn't to love, Felicia had a model's body and then some, she was infectiously happy and dirty at the same time, she was honest to the point of it not always being good for her, but most of all, she deserved him. Felicia hadn't had the easiest of lives and she was head over heels in Love with a guy who made that all okay, he held her and everything melted away except her heart beating next to his. She knew this because she had told Mary Jane, and while she listened she had nodded, knowing what she meant, unbeknownst that both girls were thinking about the same man.

As the act finished Felicia was becoming agitated with Peter's unease and Mary Jane's pained eyes, she had to find out what the hell was causing this friction in the atmosphere. As the play rolled on Felicia found it almost unbearable, they kept stealing looks at each other and Peter hadn't acknowledged anyone else's existence since they sat down, Mary Jane's perfect acting was now flawed whenever she saw Peter out the corner of her eye, her voice waved and she looked like she was drifting away. Finally it finished, the curtain came down as the cast bowed in its entirety, although Mary Jane, the lead, was no where to be seen.

* * *

Mary Jane sat in front of the mirror once again. It was still cracked. A tear licked at her face like fire, it burned her pride as a woman, it burned because she was jealous almost to the point of hating her best friend, it burned with love for someone who she knew was out of reach. Peter was happy now, and in a way Mary Jane felt herself saddened by it, and then realising that made her feel pathetic and sickened by her own fickle heart and judos mind. She had always imagined Peter at least subconsciously would miss her as much as she missed him, that on some level he shared her misery every time she woke up and realised it was just a dream that his arms weren't around her as she slept. Knowing now that when she woke up alone, he woke up to an incredibly beautiful woman smiling at him somehow made all her hopes he missed her shallow and unbelievable. Letting it sink in that on her weaker days, when her tears made ripples in her coffee, Peter was making love to his girlfriend, her best friend, and a girl so nice she realised she couldn't hate her, not for taking Peter, not for making her realise he was never MJ's to take.

If she couldn't hate Felicia, and she couldn't get over Peter, what could she do to vent the storm inside her? Tears tore down, and as the cast received a standing ovation, Mary Jane Watson cried her heart out, reflected in a broken mirror.

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As everybody sat up to leave Peter still seemed to be uncertain where to look, but when someone walked past him, it clicked in his mind that it was over, and suddenly he stood up looking at Felicia for the first time since they arrived.

"So where do you want to go when we leave here?" his voice and jittery disposition stunk of an eagerness to run through the exit he seemed to be drawn to. Despite her sense and knowing she really shouldn't know, Felicia was going to stick to the plan.

"After Party Pete, whole cast will be there" She watched his face for anything, not that he was hard to read anyway, Peter Parker was as open with his emotions in his eyes as he was evasive with his words. She could see that he was scared, but what did he have to be scared of, did Mary Jane hurt him in the past? By the looks of it yes, it would explain a lot, MJ had always made a point of losing her excess baggage by the sounds of it, some guy in high school, John Jameson, and Peter probably fit in between the two on the timeline. Poor guy, Felicia saw now that he was still sore from it and that maybe she shouldn't force it on him, but still, she had to see for herself. She had top see if Peter would react as he had for the last 2 hours, trying to ignore Mary Jane so hard he ignored everything else too, including his girlfriend.

If Peter was still sore about Mary Jane then did that mean he still liked her? Was the red haired actress his 'one that got away' from school? Should Felicia try and tackle this head on or ignore it, after all Peter was her boyfriend, and Mary Jane was her best friend, its was complicated, but she would never play games with Mary Jane, she was her friend and she was having a hard time at the moment, she couldn't justify even a healthy spat right now. Damn it, why were things never easy in this damn city?

The party started 15 minutes later, enough time for the cast to change if they wanted and head across the road to the large elegant function room that had been rented. Drink was flowing, laughter was infecting, praise spread liberally, enter a blonde and her bewildered boyfriend. She had the feeling that bringing him to a room full of actors and artists would make Peter feel awkward, he wasn't stupid, far from it, but he wasn't pretentious or fond of his own voice enough to fit in with the kind of crowd she had expected to be here. Time would tell if she was right, because although he looked lost she knew it was more to do with seeing Mary Jane and being effected by the big mystery between the two.

Mary Jane however, was no where to be seen.

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_Thanks for giving me such nice feedback, believe me I really need it at the moment, anyway I hope you enjoy this, I've given up on forcing Lengthy chapters, I'm just going to roll with what feels right_


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